Family What, Now?
by Nikkette
Summary: When Katniss decides to bring her best friend Gale to her family reunion, both are unaware of the chaos that will ensue. KatnissxGale. Updated every other day.
1. Proposal

**A/N: Just a funny little KatnissxGale idea I had. It's AU, so the characters are slightly older in this story. Also, Katniss' relatives will be various people from the movies/books. **

**Hopefully you'll enjoy it, but I can guarantee nothing.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games.**

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Chapter one: Proposal~

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"Family_ what?"_ Gale asked, confused.

"Family reunion." Katniss said simply.

Katniss had been trying to convince her best friend Gale to come with her to the Everdeen family reunion for roughly two weeks. She had alluded to it on numerous occasions, only to have Gale cleverly avoid the subject with his utter obliviousness on the matter. However, now that they were alone in the woods - their usual hangout - there was no avoiding the subject. And Ignorance, as they say, is a game that can only be played once...or something like that.

"What's that?" Gale asked, unable to grasp the incredibly simple concept.

"A family _reunion_," Katniss repeated, becoming annoyed. "Is a get-together of family members. You know? A _re-union?"_

Gale made a face. "Why would I want to go to one of those? We're not family."

It was so incredibly 'Gale' to point this incredibly obvious fact out. He was a simple man with simple needs, and an even simpler way of thinking. He was by no means simple minded - he was wise beyond his twenty years - but he always seemed to have a knack for simplifying even the most complicated situations. It was almost ridiculous.

Katniss rolled her eyes. "I know that. It's just...I don't..._know_ anyone there..." she admitted, embarrassed.

Gale shook his head, eyebrows briefly coming together in confusion. She honestly couldn't believe they were still having this conversation.

"How could you _not know anyone there?_ Don't you go like, every year?"

"Yes, Gale, year. Every YEAR. As in ONCE every 365 days. So yes, I am unfamiliar with over half the people that attend."

"So don't go. You're eighteen now, you can do whatever you want. If it's not fun, why bother?"

"_Because_, Gale," Katniss exhaled, exasperated. "Prim's going. And it means the world to my mom. I can't just ditch."

He seemed to consider this, but she had no doubt that he would fail to see things from her point of view. Gale always had trouble relating to her family problems. They were both able to connect after their fathers died, but the similarities stopped there. Gale was always able to go wherever he wanted and do whatever he pleased (and often did) without worry of parental harassment, so of course he didn't understand why Katniss couldn't do the same. He would never harp on her for it, however, and for that she was thankful.

"I still don't see why you want me to go," Gale said, picking up a stick and poking at a random branch that lay on the ground.

"Because it won't be so boring with you there." She replied, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Gale sighed. He messed around with the stick he was holding for a few moments more, then reeled back and threw it as hard as he could to see how far it would go, disheartened to see that it only went a few yards. He looked at Katniss.

"I was supposed to go fishing with Rory this weekend."

Her face fell, but the change was hardly visible. "But I guess we could reschedule..." he trailed off, watching in bemusement as her features brightened.

"Thanks, Gale." She said, giving him a smile.

"Don't mention it..." He grinned, and they both turned to look out over the hills from their spots on the comfortable grass.

"...Ever."

"Ugh..."

She nudged him hard in the shoulder, pushing him over. It was just like him to ruin a perfectly good moment.

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**A/N: Hopefully that was competent for a first chapter. But worry not, hilarity and cuteness is sure to ensue.**

**This chapter was in Katniss' POV, but the rest will most likely be in Gale's.**

**'Til next time.**


	2. Car Ride

**A/N: In this chapter, Gale has to deal with childish bickering and long car rides.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games.**

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Chapter two: Car Ride~

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"Hey, give that back!"

Gale's face soured as he was shoved side to side by two of his favorite people in the world: Rory and Prim. When he had told his mother that he would be out with Katniss for the day, Rory had asked if he could come too. He knew it wasn't a good idea, but he also knew that if he refused, his mother would only guilt him into letting him tag along anyway. And so, after bringing it up with Mrs. Everdeen, Rory was allowed to come.

Even though he loved the Everdeens, Gale couldn't deny that ever since he had agreed to go with Katniss to her family reunion, he'd had the distinct feeling that he had made the wrong choice; now he was _sure_ he'd made the wrong choice.

Due to the car being filled to the brim with supplies for the reunion (games, food, fold-out chairs, paper plates, etc.) Gale was forced to sit rather uncomfortably in the very back of the Everdeen's minivan - on the bench seat - right between Rory and Prim. It wasn't that they didn't get along - Rory practically adored Prim, and vice versa - but whenever you put two kids in a car together and expect them to sit down and shut up, it never ends well. Prim had been tending to her blonde locks when Rory, bored with looking out the window, decided to steal away her brush.

Gale, sitting awkwardly between the two, broad shoulders uncomfortably scrunched together to make room for them, assumed they would straighten things out in a peaceable manner.

Boy, was he wrong.

Apparently Prim was especially sensitive about her hair, because she leapt at Rory with all the conviction of a lion; the only thing keeping his brother safe was her seatbelt - and Gale. Gale sat back, trying not to get involved, for all of two seconds before he got fed up with their ridiculous behavior. Rolling his eyes, Gale stretched out his shoulders, pushed Prim away, and forcefully grabbed the brush from Rory.

After yanking it from his younger brother's grip, everyone froze. Everyone in the back, that is - Katniss and Mrs. Everdeen were up front, and over the roaring of the radio and cars and road whizzing by, he doubted if they even knew this confrontation was taking place. Prim silenced, Rory ceased his movements, and Gale was pissed; no one said or did anything for the longest time, but he was sure it wasn't more than a few seconds. Slowly he released the two, and he handed the object of interest back to Prim.

"Now _stop_ it." He ordered.

Eventually, they resumed their previous positions - Prim brushing her hair, Rory gazing boredly out the window to his left, and Gale sandwiched between them - and it was quiet once again. Everything was fine, except for the fact that _everyone_ was now equally unhappy. Just then, Katniss peeked out from behind the passenger's seat.

"Hey, guys. Everything okay?" She asked, head swaying slightly with the bumpy road.

He opened his mouth to say that _no, everything was_ not_ 'okay'_, but upon seeing her bright eyes and unbridled joyous expression, Gale decided not to. Instead, pursing his lips and giving her a tight lipped smile, he replied,

"Yeah. Everything's fine."

She smiled, gazed at the others, and returned to her seat. He immediately let out a breath, breathing deeply in and out to get his anger under control. _Only two more hours to go, _he thought sarcastically.

...Katniss. He was here for Katniss.

He could do this.

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**A/N: Yep, poor Gale.**

**I'd like to thank everyone who reviewed this so far, I honestly didn't expect such a fast response! So big thank you to Jay's Song, Ellenka (beautiful username, btw) and the Guests. And don't worry about your grammar, Guest from Poland; your English is just fine ;)**

**'Til next time.**


	3. Are We There Yet?

**A/N: Though I think it's obvious, I feel like I should say that this is a Modern AU, so there's no Games or Districts or anything like that. It's just like the world we live in today. **

**SO, with that cleared up, here is chapter three :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games.**

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Chapter Three: Are We There Yet?~

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"We're here, we're here!"

Gale shielded his right ear from Prim's delighted shrieks. It had been nearly two hours since the brush incident - he knew, he'd counted - and now they were finally at their desired destination. As Mrs. Everdeen pulled into the parking lot, Prim unbuckled herself and leaned across Gale to look out the window, her knee digging painfully into his thigh. If it were Rory, he would have given him a piece of his mind, but Prim was so cute and delicate (and so _not_ Rory) that he couldn't find it in himself to push her off.

With nothing else to do, Gale joined the two in looking out the window. It wasn't what he was expecting - to be honest, he didn't know _what_ he expected, but it wasn't this. The reunion was taking place at a park; and a rather large one, at that.

There was a walkway that led from the parking lot to the shelter (no doubt where all the food was), and Gale couldn't help but notice the very long stretch of sidewalk that led from the shelter - _aaaall_ the way across the length of the parking lot - to the restrooms; a very long walk indeed for anyone that had an emergency...er, not that he would.

There was also a play set at the end of the field (again, a long walk...for a little kid, anyway) and a swing set a few yards from that, closer to the shelter. There were already a handful of people there, old and young alike, with babies and strollers and kids running around and riding bikes and swinging on swings.

Under a patch of trees, closer to the parking lot, Gale noticed a group of fold-out chairs placed in a circle, crowded around what looked like an unlit campfire. In front of these chairs, set in a line, were more fold-out chairs, and ahead of these, Gale saw, was a small group of people setting down makeshift bases on the ground. It looked like they were setting up a baseball game.

Hm. Maybe today wouldn't be so bad after all.

"Okay, guys, here we are." Mrs. Everdeen pulled into an empty parking space, closer to the shelter.

_"Finally!" _Rory said excitedly.

Gale rolled his eyes. He must have bought into the sales pitch Prim had sold him on the way here.

Prim all but bounced out of the van, and Rory followed. Gale was the last one out; not because he didn't want some fresh air after being cooped up in that forsaken minivan for three hours, but because he had trouble moving in such a tight space. Eventually he was able to make his way to the side door, and, after Katniss and her mother moved some things out of the way, get out of the prison he had been held in for far too long.

"Hey, where's the bathroom? I gotta _gooo_," Rory practically whined.

"That way," Mrs. Everdeen replied, pointing to the building on the other side of the lot as she dug out a box from underneath the passenger seat.

"Yeah, I gotta go, too." Prim said, and they both trotted off toward the restrooms.

Standing in the warm sun - it was a _very_ nice day out, perfect for an event such as this - Gale stretched out his sore muscles, expanding his shoulders and relishing in the elbow-room he had been denied for so long. He locked his hands together behind his back and stretched, stopping when he felt his collarbone pop. Katniss looked at him disgustedly, clutching the large cardboard box she held.

"Ugh, _gross_, you're gonna get arthritis."

"Sorry to disappoint you, my _dear_ Miss Everdeen, but there is no scientific evidence that links the popping of bones to arthritis." He smirked happily, pulling his arms above his head as he stretched out his back.

Katniss sighed, rolling her eyes. "Whatever..."

"Katniss, could you take our cooler up to the shelter, please?" Her mother asked.

"Uh, yeah. Sure, mom." She smiled. Mrs. Everdeen smiled back before moving to open the back door of the van.

"_Here_," Katniss said, dropping her smile and thrusting the box into Gale's arms. "Take this."

He gave her a look. "Wh-what? Why?"

"Because," Katniss smirked. "_I_ have a cooler to deliver." She hopped the step that separated the parking lot from the sidewalk, yanking the cooler by its handle to get it up to her level.

"But it's _heavy,"_ Gale complained.

"_You're_ heavy." She replied.

Katniss began walking along the sidewalk toward the shelter, dragging the blue and white cooler along with her. Trying once more to get out of unnecessary manual labor, he called out,

"But where am I supposed to put this stuff?"

"Ask Sae!" She called back, still walking.

_"Sae?"_ He said to himself.

Who the hell was Sae?

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**A/N: Can you guess what role Sae will play in relation to Katniss? :D**

**I'll try to stay away from making any OCs to fill in the family tree 'gaps' of Katniss' family reunion, but there a _lot_ of people attending. Like I said, I'll try not to, but if it comes to that I'll limit their numbers to as little as possible :P**

**Oh, and thanks again to all who reviewed. I'm glad you decided to give my story a chance, Kimmy! :D**

**'Til next time.**


	4. Sae

**A/N: In this chapter, Prim helps Gale, and Gale gets a little nervous ;)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games.**

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Chapter four: Sae~

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Gale walked along the brick pathway leading up to the shelter, the cardboard box in his hands. He really had no idea what he was doing or where he was going; Katniss had been extremely vague about the mysterious luggage she had dumped on him. _Go find Sae_, she'd said. Yeah. Too bad he had no idea who that was.

Gale stopped to peer inside the box he was holding. It held...yarn? Knitting needles? Paint by Numbers? ..._Doylies? _What the hell was this?! Who in their right mind brings _this_ stuff to a family reunion? Just then, Prim trotted up beside him.

"Hey, Gale. What'cha doin'?" She asked, pigtails swaying as she stopped next to him, hands behind her back.

Gale turned to look at her. "Uh, nothin', it's just...do you know what all this stuff is?"

He tilted the box down to her, and Prim stood on her tippy toes to look inside.

"Mm...looks like stuff for the raffle." She said.

_"Raffle?"_ Gale echoed. "What raffle?"

"We have a raffle every year to raise money so we can afford booking a spot here next year." She explained.

"Oh..." Was all he said.

Prim began to walk away, and Gale ran to catch up to her.

"Uh, hey, do you know where to put this stuff? Katniss said I should bring it to Sae, but...I have no idea who that is," he admitted, scratching the back of his head.

Prim's eyes brightened at the mention of Sae's name, and he couldn't help but feel that he shouldn't have asked.

"Come on," she said, grabbing hold of his hand. "I'll show you."

Prim led him up the walkway, past the foliage and fold-out chairs, past a group of older people sitting and talking and grilling burgers, through a back door, and into the shelter. It was very dark compared to outside, and Gale had to trust Prim's better judgement as she led him by the hand like a blind man while he attempted to readjust his vision.

"Here we are," said Prim, letting go of his hand.

"Uh...thanks," Gale said, standing there quite stupidly.

He still couldn't see anything, but he knew that he must have been rather close to this 'Sae' person because Prim shrieked,

"Grandma Sae!"

_"Grandma?"_ He said to himself. Sae was a _woman?_

"Oh, I'm happy to see you, too!" The woman in question replied.

The gap of silence told him that she was probably busy hugging Prim, but he couldn't be sure.

"And who is _this?"_ The woman asked, clearly interested.

Gale blinked, clearing his vision. "Uh...Gale," he greeted, holding out a hand to the dark figure in front of him.

"Oh, now that's no way to greet family!"

Gale felt an arm wrap around his neck, and once his eyes finally adjusted to the darkness he could see that she was hugging him, Prim smiling brightly at him from behind her grandmother. The woman pulled away smiling, eyes crinkling. She was an older woman, but not the frail, brittle kind. Gale could clearly tell that she had a spunk, a sort of flare all her own; he also knew that - for him - that probably wasn't a good thing.

"Hello, Gale. Are you a friend of Prim's?" She asked.

"Uh...no. I mean yes! But...I came here with Katniss," he fumbled over himself.

"Oh, I _see_..." she smirked, looking at him weirdly.

"Oh, Katniss and I are just friends," Gale clarified.

Her smirk only grew wider. "Mm-_hmmm..."_

Feeling an awkward silence coming on, Gale cleared his throat. "Uh, so you're Sae, right?"

"The one and only," she said proudly, jutting out her chin and placing her hands on her hips. "But it's _Grandma_ Sae, dear. Prim told me you needed help with something?"

"Uh..." Gale looked behind the old woman, but Prim was nowhere to be seen. "Yeah...do you know where I should put this stuff?" He asked, holding the box out to her.

Sae peered inside. "Oh, that's raffle stuff. Just put it over there by the tables."

She pointed to the far end of the shelter, towards a stone fireplace, where two fold-out tables sat apart from the rest of the generic wooden picnic tables. They were both covered by tablecloths, and one was already full with various knick knacks and toys and other prizes for the raffle.

"And then you and _I_ can have a little _talk_," Said Sae wryly.

"Haha..._thaaanks_..." Gale laughed nervously.

Sae turned around to greet another newly arrived family member, and Gale immediately slipped away, moving quickly toward the other side of the shelter.

"I'll _pass_..." He whispered to himself, eyes wide.

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**A/N: Yep. Grandma Sae's looking a little devious, ain't she? XD Or should I say ornery, because she's old? Eh, never mind.**

**I really think that shorter chapters (like, less than 1,000 words excluding the Author's Notes) are working out great for me. There's still plenty going on in each chapter, _you're_ not overwhelmed with all these _thousands _of words, and _I _don't have so much to proofread ^^**

**Anyway, in the next chapter we'll start to see the beginning hints of Galeniss. Just saying ;)**

**'Til next time.**


	5. Best Friend, Huh?

**A/N: In this chapter, Katniss sees an old friend, and _Gale_ gets _jealous_ ;)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games.**

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Chapter five: Best Friend, huh?~

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Gale set the prize box down on the empty table, turning around to observe his surroundings. There were seven picnic tables on either side of the shelter, with a single lane running down the middle where most of the traffic was. People bustled up and down the lane, moving around each other to put their coolers by their table, and stopping to talk to old friends.

Gale spotted a particular cooler on the left side - well, his left - that sat at the end of one of the picnic tables. It was blue and white - the Everdeen's cooler. Just then, Katniss' head popped up from behind the table, braid flinging about. She had something in her hand - a wrapper, maybe - and as she stood up, Gale began to make his way over. He had gone no more than a few feet when he saw someone approach her, and Gale stopped to see who this person was.

It was a man. Well, no more a man than Gale was...uh, *cough* not that Gale wasn't a man. He was just, you know, young. For a man. Eh, never mind.

The young man came up behind Katniss much the same way a predator would prey, and when she stood up to her full height he rammed his fingers into her sides and yelled, "BOO!" She screamed, the thing she was holding flying right back out of her hands. She turned around, poised to slap him, but upon recognizing who it was settled for a friendly slap to the shoulder. Gale watched in discomfort as Katniss smiled and turned around, wrapping her arms around him, the two laughing lightheartedly like good friends.

_Too_ good of friends.

Gale resumed his route to the Everdeen's table, coming up behind Katniss, who was still hugging the unknown perpetrator in front of him. Gale coughed. The two broke apart, and she looked at him, eyes bright.

"Oh, hey, Gale. Did you find Grandma Sae?" She asked, remaining uncomfortably close to the musty blond before him.

"Uh, yeah, who's this?" Gale asked a little too nicely, barely answering her question.

Katniss turned around, looking up at the person she still held in her arms.

"Oh, I'm sorry, how stupid of me. This is Cato. Cato, this is my friend Gale," she introduced, holding out a hand to Gale as if presenting him to an audience.

"_Best_ friend," He corrected, holding out his hand.

"Hi," Cato said politely as he shook his hand, a hint of a smile still on his lips from earlier.

He was surprisingly muscular, perhaps more so than Gale (though he would never admit to this, of course) and tall, at least two or three inches taller than him (again, he admitted nothing). He had on a pair of tan cargo pants and a well-fitted red t-shirt with the logo for Panem Sports on it. He looked like a preppy jock. It had only been thirty seconds, but Gale already wasn't liking him.

"So you're a good friend of Katniss, huh?" Cato asked, genuinely interested.

Oh, and he was a gentleman too! How _sweet..._

_"Yep."_ Gale replied curtly.

"Funny, she's...never mentioned you." Said Cato innocently, scoffing a laugh.

Gale looked at Katniss, face frozen, speechless. _Never mentioned?_ They spent every _flipping_ day together! _What the hell was that?!_

"Cato, that's not..._entirely_ true..." Katniss said, looking slightly ashamed.

"Noooo, I think I would have remembered if you did," Cato insisted.

He wrapped his arm tighter around Katniss' waist, and she laughed somewhat nervously.

Awkward silence...

"...Yeah, well, great meeting you, man," Cato said, obviously trying to break the ice.

"Yeah. _Same here_," replied Gale, smiling tightly.

He watched in disdain as this 'Cato' person bent his head down to his best friend's ear.

"Hey, I'm gonna go see Grandma Sae. Sit with you at lunch?"

"Yeah, sure." She replied, crossing her arms and giggling when he tickled her.

"Okay, sweet. I'll see you later." And with that, he ran out of the shelter and into the sun.

Katniss turned and looked at Gale, her smile faltering when she saw the clear look of anger on his face.

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**A/N: _Oooh_, Katniss is in _trouble. _(O.O)**

**I _was_ gonna have Peeta be the one to sneak up on Katniss, but I decided on Cato because, well let's face it, Gale is in no way threatened by Peeta XD THAT, _and_ I like Catoniss more than Peetniss, so, ya know *shrugs***

**I'll still have him in the story though, I think, just gotta find a spot for him :)**

**'Till next time.**


	6. Miscommunication

**A/N: Just in case you were starting to wonder where Rory was, don't worry, I haven't forgotten about him. He's just off playing with Prim right now :P**

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games.**

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Chapter six: Miscommunication~

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_"Never mentioned?"_ Gale echoed, disbelief written on his face.

Katniss shook her head. "I'm _sorry_, you just kind of...slipped my mind." She admitted.

He gaped at her. "I thought you said you didn't know anyone here!"

"I _don't_," she said indignantly. "I haven't seen Cato in _years_. I had _no_ idea he was coming this year." She turned to look outside the shelter, eyes following the general trail that Cato took.

"Does _anyone_ know I exist?" Asked Gale, bringing her attention back to him.

"...No?" She answered sheepishly. Upon seeing her friend's open-mouthed expression she quickly added, "But there's a reason for that!"

He crossed his arms disbelievingly._ "Really?"_

Katniss held her hands out in a defensive manner. "YES, a VERY good reason."

"Really? And what's that?"

"Uh..." her eyes trailed beyond him, her attention diverted.

She suddenly looked very nervous, and though he was curious, Gale refused to avert his gaze. Unfortunately for him, it was about to be averted for him.

"_Katniss?_ Is that _you_, dear?"

Gale began to turn around, only to be bombarded with perms and makeup and powder and lipstick and _pink_, all of which were _way_ too close to his face. He started, genuinely scared of the sight before him. It was a woman, that much he could tell, but with all of the makeup caked onto her face she was practically ageless. She could have been thirty, she could have been fifty.

The alien being hugged him tightly, and upon releasing him, spoke to Katniss, her hands still resting on his arms.

"And _who_, is_ this?_" She asked flirtingly, eyes on Gale.

Gale glanced over. Katniss looked mortified, as though she would run away at any second.

"This is..._Gale_, Aunt Effie..." she replied reluctantly.

"_Ooh_, I _see_. Is he your _boyfriend?_" Effie questioned, winking at him.

Katniss placed a hand to her forehead, clearly embarrassed by her aunt's behavior. "_No_, Aunt Effie, he's _just a friend."_

Effie scoffed, waving her niece away. "Pfft. Poppycock. If _he's_ not in love with you then _I'm_ from outer space."

Gale choked back a laugh, noticing Katniss stifle one herself.

"Oh, no matter. I'll get to the bottom of this before the day is over." Smirked Effie, and she finally released Gale from her hold.

"It's nice to see you, dear," she said, giving Katniss a hug and kissing both sides of her face.

"Nice to see you too," her niece replied, hugging her back, eyes shooting wide in a 'yikes' manner as she stared at Gale from over her shoulder.

Effie smiled and walked off, and Gale laughed when he saw his friend's face. There were two kiss marks on either side of her cheeks, their hot pink color making it seem as though she were blushing. Katniss frowned at him, unaware of what he found so funny.

"What?"

He stifled a chuckle, but it came out as a snort. "You got something on your..."

She moved a hand up to her cheek, roughly swiping at it with the back of her sleeve. This only helped in smearing it around her face, and he laughed even harder.

Gale pointed to the spot on her cheek, chuckling. "No no, it's..."

Katniss wiped at her face again, smearing the residue further.

"No, it's right..."

She wiped again.

"Right there..."

Frowning even deeper, Katniss took both her sleeves and proceeded to rub her face raw, determined to get the blasted lipstick off her skin. When she pulled her hands away, her face was a hot pink mess. She didn't quite look like a clown, per se, but he didn't want to say drag-queen, either. It was more of an...ArtPop look.

Grinning, Gale replied, "...You got it."

Huffing, Katniss crossed her arms.

"_Still_ want me to introduce you to the rest of the family?" She asked smartly.

Gale, still trying to keep a straight face, replied,

"I think I'll pass, thank you."

"Good." She said, bowing her head and looking at the ground.

They stood there idly for some time, and Gale knew she was waiting him out for an apology. Unfortunately for Gale, she always won. He may have been stubborn, and depending on the event it may take him several days to admit that he was wrong (two weeks is the current record) but she always won. And he always apologized.

"...Look, I'm sorry." He finally said.

Katniss looked up at him, arms still crossed, clearly expecting more. He rolled his eyes.

"I shouldn't have been so sensitive over something so-"

"Ridiculous?" She finished.

"...Yeah." he admitted.

"Stupid? Dumb? Small? Trivial? Re-"

"Okay, that's enough."

She sighed.

"You _know_ you're my best friend, Gale. And I like the fact that I don't have to remind you every _five_ minutes," she said lowly, kicking at an invisible rock.

"Yeah, exactly! And that's what I like about you, too." He said, agreeing completely. "But it's just...I mean _jeez_, I talk about _you_ with my friends all the time."

Her head shot up. "You do?"

Gale scratched the back of his head. "Y-yeah, all the time. Well, I mean not _all_ the time, but I...we talk, okay?"

Katniss smiled a small smile, eyes twinkling with mischief. "Really? About what?"

He froze, knowing full well that this was a trick question.

"Uh..."

"Hey, _Kit-_Kat! How ya been?" An obnoxious voice sounded from behind them.

They both turned their heads towards the voice, Katniss' face cringing.

"Oh,_ no_..."

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**A/N: Can you guess who _that's _going to be? ;D**

**'Til next time.**


	7. Tests of Patience

**A/N: Never mind the nickname Katniss is given in this chapter, it will be explained in the next ;)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games.**

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Chapter seven: Tests of Patience~

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Gale watched as a streak of black flew past him and straight into Katniss, nearly knocking her over.

"Hey, Red. What'cha doin'?" The person asked, ignoring Gale completely.

"_Hi_, Johanna." Said Katniss, clearly unwanting of the attention.

"Still _talkative_ as ever, I see." She joked. At least Gale assumed it was a joke - he really wasn't sure from the sarcastic way she'd said it.

Johanna smirked, giving Katniss a rough side-hug. She was taller than Katniss, with short black hair, with a single streak near her face dyed red. She wore a baseball cap and uniform, all of which had the all-too-familiar logo of Panem Sports imprinted on them. She held a duffle bag on one shoulder, and Gale could only guess that it held baseballs and bats.

He got the feeling that she was ignoring him purposefully, and he could tell by the looks of her that she had a rather abrasive personality, as well as a spunk and attitude all her own; something that apparently_ no_ one in this family lacked. He was beginning to ponder the idea of leaving to go find Rory or Prim, or even Mrs. Everdeen, but after a few awkward moments of standing there like an idiot, Gale was finally noticed.

"So who's this?" Johanna asked Katniss nonchalantly as she looked him over with all the interest of an insect, chewing on a stick of gum. Katniss opened her mouth to speak, but Gale beat her to it.

"Gale," he introduced himself, holding out a hand.

"Keep it," she disregarded, waving it off with a mitt-covered hand, chewing some more on her bubblegum.

Well _okay_, then.

"...So how are you related to Katniss?" Gale asked, trying to keep his irritation under control.

"You mean Red? We're best buds. Can't cha tell?" She replied, wrapping an arm around Katniss' shoulder and hugging her tight, smirking proudly.

"Hey, JOHANNA!"

She turned her head at the sound of her name, doing a full 360 to look outside the shelter. Gale followed her gaze, and his eyes landed on a man, no older than he, with bronze-blond hair and well-built physique, waving enthusiastically at her.

Johanna made a face, curling her upper lip into an 'M' shape.

"Tsk. In a MINUTE, Finnick!"

Finnick held his arms out in a 'come on, already!' fashion, before smirking and walking away to join a group of other fellow relatives.

Johanna grumbled (rather loudly, too), shoulders sagging, and turned back to Katniss and Gale.

"Ugh, look, I'm gonna have to go. I'll see you at lunch, okay?"

Gale opened his mouth to answer - she was looking at him when she said this, so he assumed she was talking to him - but she cut him off, giving him an open-mouthed smirk.

"Not you."

Katniss turned her mouth downwards in a comical manner, trying to hide a smile.

"So whadaya say, cous'?" She asked her, grabbing her by the shoulder and shaking her a bit.

"Oh, um...yeah. Sounds good." She smiled, nodding a bit too enthusiastically.

"Great," smiled Johanna, blowing a bubble.

Seeing his friend's distress, Gale decided to step in.

"Uh, look, I don't think that-"

_POP!_

"I'm sorry. What was that?" She smirked, chewing her gum again.

Gale was trying his hardest not to blow up on this chick. _She was just so annoying!_ He could barely stand to be around her for five minutes, he couldn't even _fathom_ how Katniss was able to deal with her for eighteen years.

"...Ugh, nothing." He finished, crossing his arms to keep from just punching her.

"Really? Because your mouth was moving and I was _sure_-"

"_Nope_, I'm fine." Gale interrupted, clenching his jaw.

Unwrapping her arm from around Katniss, Johanna walked away, passing Gale slower than needed so he didn't miss the smirk she was sending way. When she was gone, Katniss warily stepped up to him, placing a hand on his arm.

"You okay?" She asked.

He exhaled deeply, nostrils flaring slightly. "Yeah...yeah, I'm good."

She nodded, removing her hand. She sighed, staring after Johanna.

"If it makes you feel any better, it means she likes you."

Gale gagged.

"W-_what?_"

The very notion of that...that..._thing_ liking him made Gale choke on his own spit.

"She likes you. She tends to be a little..._aggressive_ when she sees someone she likes." Katniss clarified, shrugging.

He stared at her with an open-mouthed expression, eyes bulging from their sockets.

"A _little?_"

She made an 'eh' expression, and they stood together like that for a few moments, watching everyone else go about their business as Gale silently vented.

"...What time is it?" Katniss asked suddenly.

Gale glanced at his wrists, even though there was no watch. "Uh, I don't..."

"There's a clock above the fireplace."

He whirled around, focusing his eyes on the rather ridiculously large clock that rested ,a bit unstable, at the top of the stone wall of the fireplace.

"Uh...11:30." He said.

"Okay, that means lunch is about to start. C'mon, help me get Prim." And she began to walk off, heading out the shelter toward the playground.

Gale, realizing that she had just successfully diffused his anger without him even knowing, smiled to himself, and followed.

* * *

**A/N: Just so you know, in no way do I hate Johanna Mason. In fact, I LOVE her character. I just don't see her and Gale getting along, because I think their personalities would clash. **

**As they say, a double-negative is proof-positive! Aaand vice versa XD **

**I'm trying to decide which character(s) I should introduce next. You can post a review and give me your opinion if you want, but even if you don't, I'm sure I'll think of something :)**

**'Til next time!**


	8. Playground Warfare

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games.**

* * *

Chapter eight: Playground Warfare~

* * *

Gale followed Katniss across the field to the playground, dodging the occasional frisbee or football. Although he wasn't angry anymore, he still couldn't stop thinking about Johanna. She was just so..._so_...

He didn't even know.

Words could not (and probably never would) describe the truly bizarre nature of that woman. Still, he felt the ever-growing need to verbalize his dislike for the young girl - he figured that if he could talk about her, to put his annoyance into words, that she would quit grating on his mind and he could just let it go and move throughout the rest of the day with fairly happy thoughts.

It seemed like a sound enough plan.

Picking up his pace a bit, Gale came up beside Katniss, shortening his stride to match hers.

"So uh, hey, I've been wondering; why does she call you Red?" He asked.

She turning her head to look at him quizzically. "Who, Johanna?"

"Yeah," he clarified, not looking at her as he focused on the ground.

"It's...it's kind of hard to explain," she said, face scrunching up in thought. "Let me put it like this: you know how some people give other people nicknames, even though it's pretty much the opposite of what they actually are?"

Gale thought for a moment. "You mean like calling someone who's tall 'Shorty'?"

"Yes, exactly." She said. "Well, that's why Johanna calls me Red. Because my hair's brown."

He processed her words for a few seconds, then burst into a laugh. "What, like an oxymoron?" He said, smiling.

Katniss gave him a weird look. "Yeah..."

He continued to chuckle beside her.

"...What's so funny?"

"Hahahaha...it's just...it's just that..._oh,_ this is hard..."

He laughed some more, and eventually had to stop walking completely in order to quell his fit of sudden giggles.

Katniss stood beside him patiently, obviously curious as to what he found so humorous.

Gale tried again. "It's just that it's so 'you' to complicate things that are so _not_!" He finally managed to get out.

Her eyebrows knotted. "What do you mean?"

"Well, all you had to say was it was an oxymoron! And you go and explain it away in such 'complicated' detail! I'm sorry, but that's just hilarious," he laughed again, placing a hand on his belly.

Katniss looked at him, and his laughter wimpishly died. For the longest time he thought she might do something drastic, like punch him or stomp off (or worse; give him the silent treatment for two hours), but she didn't. Instead, she looked thoughtfully at the ground, as though pondering this newfound fact herself, and gave a light shrug, resuming her walk to the playground.

Well that was...anticlimactic.

Gale jogged up to her, truly puzzled. "What the hell was that?" He chuckled.

"What was what?" She asked, staring ahead.

"Th-_that_," he gestured back toward their previous spots. "You're not mad at me or anything?"

"Why would I be mad?"

Okay, now he was really confused. "Uh, because that's what you _do_ when I say stuff like that?"

She shook her head. "No. I mean, like you said, it's the truth. Why should I be mad about the truth?"

Well, she had him there.

"Uh...I dunno..."

"Look, don't worry about it. I'm not gonna _jump out at you_ when you least expect it, or anything," she joked, giving a short laugh.

Gale chuckled halfheartedly with her, if not a tad nervously. He honestly wouldn't put it past her to do just that, and he briefly pondered whether or not he should be on his guard for the remainder of the day. He didn't get the chance to decide, however, because just then, they reached the playground.

"KATNISS!" Prim called, waving from the rickety bridge.

Katniss smiled. "PRIM!"

Gale joined in, cupping his hands around his mouth to shout, "RORY!"

Rory's head peaked out from the monkey bars. Letting go of one of the monkey bars, he cupped his hand around his mouth, and shouted for the whole world to hear,

"FARTFACE!"

Gale's smile was wiped clean faster than a dinner plate.

Everyone silenced for a moment as they turned their heads in his direction, all curious to see who the insult was directed at. Then, almost immediately, the children and tweens of the playground (and even some of the adults) began to howl with laughter. They chuckled and snorted and jeered, and if he hadn't had any dignity, Gale probably would have blushed in embarrassment. He stood there, a bit shell-shocked that his little brother would openly embarrass him in public.

It was when he noticed Katniss chuckling silently next to him that he finally came to.

"Son of a-!" Without warning Gale shot forward, aiming to exact revenge on his baby brother.

Rory, expression now horror-struck, leapt from the monkey bars and ran in the opposite direction of his crazed sibling.

Prim trotted over to join her sister, both equally enjoying the young Hawthorne's antics.

"What are we gonna do with those two?" She asked to no one in particular, mocking concern.

Katniss shook her head. "I have no idea..."

* * *

**A/N: Okay, now tell me you can't see that happening between two brothers in a public place? I mean _really?_ :D lol.**

**No new characters in this chapter, but just you wait until the next one. Lunch will be...well...you'll see ;)**

**Happy Mother's Day, everyone! :)**

**'Til next time.**


	9. Prayer

**A/N: Didn't think I was gonna update today either, did ya? :D**

** Sorry I skipped yesterday, but I just couldn't type fast enough T.T All those other times I was a chapter ahead so I could post and be working on the other chapter at the same time, and now I'm...not. Ha. XD**

**Can't say it won't happen again, but I apologize in advance if it does ^^**

**SO, _please_ enjoy this double-post to make up for it :D**

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games.**

* * *

Chapter nine: Prayer~

* * *

After the playground mishap, Gale and Rory accompanied the Everdeens back to the shelter. Gale was surprised at how much more..._busy_ the place looked. It was absolutely packed with family members and distant relatives, and every single table was filled, taken, or claimed; all except the Everdeen's. How ironic.

They walked up to their table and sat down, Katniss next to her mother and Gale next to her, with Rory and Prim next to him. Gale looked around, his eyes landing on the two very _full_ tables at the end of the room towards the entrance. Full of food, that is. ...Oh wait, there were three! _Three_ tables filled with food! He ran his eyes hungrily over the morsels, quickly scanning the contents of each one.

From the looks of it, there were two tables for lunch, and one for dessert. He hadn't eaten since 6:30, and _that_ was five hours ago, so needless to say, he was freaking _starving_. Gale tried craning his neck to get a better look at the delicacies that would soon be gracing his stomach, but was interrupted by the sound of Katniss' voice.

"Hey, c'mon, it's time to pray," she said lowly, gently slapping his arm.

Gale looked at her, confused, but her eyes were already closed. It was then that he noticed everyone else in the room; their eyes were closed, too. He turned to look at Rory, who was clearly looking to him for guidance on the matter, and was obviously just as confused as he was.

He leaned down to his little brother's ear. "Just follow their lead." He whispered.

And without further ado, the two brothers clasped their hands together - albeit awkwardly - bowed their heads, and closed their eyes. Not two seconds later, they heard a voice call from the other end of the shelter, toward the fireplace and prize tables.

"We thank you, dear Lord, for the food which we are about to eat. We thank you for all of the guidance and wisdom you have bestowed upon us, and all of the wonderful things that have happened to each of us over the past year. But most of all, dear Lord, we thank you for family. For our brothers and sisters and aunts and uncles, some of which are twice removed-" a few light chuckles filled the room "-and for those of us who are here today that are new to the family, as well as those who are not. Because without family, we would all be lost. Amen,"

"Amen," everyone repeated.

Gale opened his eyes, and Rory leaned up to him, placing his hand to his ear.

"That was weird," he whispered.

Gale looked at him, smiling slightly in bemusement. "Yeah, I know," He whispered back. "But don't tell anyone else that, you might hurt Prim's feelings."

Rory rolled his eyes, and they each turned back to what they were doing.

Gale had never really given much thought to God or prayer, and he certainly wouldn't have pegged the Everdeens as religious. The Hawthornes had never prayed before they ate or anything, but they had never really talked about it, either. He supposed it was just a subject they had never touched on. It didn't mean that they weren't open to religion, he guessed, they just...didn't practice it.

Whatever the case, Gale was a guest here, and he had already decided that he would respect the Everdeen's ways, even if it meant participating in something he was absolutely clueless about. He could only hope that Rory would do the same. He was _not_ looking forward to being embarrassed by the little demon again.

Mrs. Everdeen stood up, and her daughters followed, Gale and Rory joining them. They went to stand at the end of an already long line leading up to the lunch table, and Gale had to keep himself from drooling over all of the mouthwatering smells. Was that chicken? Burgers? Cheese? ...Oh, _man_, was that-

His cuisine-related fantasies were interrupted as someone rather roughly brushed past him and over to Katniss, who was standing in front of him. It was a boy, no older than his best friend was. He was stout and blond, with an innocence about him that gave him a rather boyish look, contrasting greatly with the hard, mature features of the young woman he was trying to talk to. It was actually pretty hilarious when he thought about it - at least, it would have been if not for the annoyance Gale felt at being (quite literally) pushed aside.

The _nerve_ of some people...

"Hey, Katniss!" The boy said cheerily, smiling like an _idiot_.

The girl in question smiled, answering, "Oh. Hi, Peeta."

Peeta grinned even wider, looking at the floor as he scratched the back of his head, the look on his face clearly indicating that he felt as though he had just overcome a _great_ obstacle because she had replied. What a _douche_.

"Hi! Uh..."

Gale watched with hidden glee as he witnessed 'Peeta' fumble over his words, stumbling over himself for what to say next because he _obviously_ didn't expect Katniss to give him the time of day. It was kind of mean, he knew. But that didn't mean it wasn't freaking hilarious.

"Uh...yeah, so, did you wanna...maybe...eat together?" The boy finally managed to stumble out, his sentence ending weakly.

Gale concealed a grin. Time for the rejection.

"Oh, um, I'm sorry, Peeta, but, I'm already eating with someone else," Katniss said apologetically, turning around to face Gale.

Gale stood tall, all too happy that the attention was now focused on him so dear little _Peeta_ could take a good long look at his competition. He honestly didn't even know why he bothered straightening his back or squaring his shoulders; he towered easily over the kid. But, nevertheless, he did. And the reaction was priceless.

Peeta followed Katniss' gaze with all the obedience of a dog, and his face nearly fell off when his eyes met Gale's. Gale could tell from his expression that it was obvious to him that he was way out of his league for Katniss, and Gale made sure of it.

"Hi," Gale said with fake sweetness, smiling as he uncrossed his arms and held out his hand.

Peeta hesitantly took it, and Gale made sure to shake his hand with the firmness of a bear trap. Peeta laughed nervously, glancing from him to Katniss, then back again, obviously trying to keep from wincing in pain because she was present.

"Hi. I'm Peeta," he introduced once he was released from Gale's hold, stretching out the fingers of his crushed hand.

"I'm Gale," Gale replied, smiling wider.

Katniss stared back and forth between them, an awkward silence setting in.

Well, awkward for everyone but Gale.

Peeta obviously wanted to say more, but now that Gale was in the picture it seemed as though he'd changed his mind. He scratched the back of his head nervously again, and he turned back to Katniss.

"Well, I gotta go get back in line...so, I'll see you later?" He asked, hopeful.

Katniss nodded. "Yeah, definitely."

Peeta smiled goofishly again, and he jogged back toward the end of the line to rejoin his family.

Gale stared after him, pleased with himself that he was able to drive him away so quickly. Smirking, he turned back to face the front of the lunch line - and a less than happy Katniss.

* * *

**A/N: Okay, I just couldn't resist the prayer scene. It's a very common thing do at family reunions (it is at mine, anyway) and I could easily see Gale (as well as Rory) getting a little uncomfortable over it XD **

**I still feel like I wrote it (the prayer) all corny, though, which I probably did, but oh well. Y****ou get the picture *shrugs***

**Anyway, don't mind me. Go ahead and get to that other chapter! :D**


	10. You Touch it, You Take it

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games.**

* * *

Chapter ten: You Touch it, You Take it~

* * *

"What was that?" Katniss asked, clearly irritated.

Gale feigned ignorance. "What?"

_"That,"_ she said, gesturing towards where Peeta had stood. "Could you be _any_ more _rude_?"

"_Rude_? C'mon, I was just shaking his hand! Since when is that rude?"

"Gale, you can't _pretend_. I was right there watching."

Crap, she was onto him.

"Look, I'm sorry, but he was just _so_-"

She widened her eyes at him, clearly in warning that other ears were present. He shut his mouth, opting to lean into her ear.

"So _wimpy!_ You know I can't stand guys like that." He whispered.

"Peeta's not 'wimpy'." She whispered back.

He gave her a flabbergasted look. "You're _kidding_, right?"

When she made no move to correct her previous sentence he added, "Come _on_, the guy's a total _wuss_!"

"_No_, he's _not_." She said again, turning away from him to move up the line.

Gale followed suit, putting his face level with her ear again. "Oh, _please_. I bet he follows you around like a lost _puppy_."

He waited for her rebuttal, but when there came none, he knew he was right. He pulled away from her, sighing.

Suddenly, a thought hit him.

Smiling, he said, "I bet you _five bucks_ that if you threw a stick, and you asked him to, he'd go _running_ to get it."

Katniss remained with her back to him, but he could tell he'd struck a nerve. He tried to imagine her sour expression as she made a reprimanding 'tsk' sound.

"Look, Peeta is really nice. So let's just _drop_ it, okay?"

They moved up the line again.

"Whatever you say," Gale chuckled, crossing his arms and looking toward the ceiling, picturing a puppy-dog Peeta racing enthusiastically after a stick.

They reached the front of the line, and Gale knew right then that he wouldn't have to go hungry for long. The tables were _packed_ with all kinds of food, from takeout to homemade, and he had to control himself so he wouldn't cut in line and just _hog_ it all. They came up to the first table and Katniss handed him a paper plate, though she was still obviously miffed about earlier.

Gale flipped the plate in his hands, boredly moving along the line with everyone else. Grabbing himself a napkin and some plastic utensils, he looked to those around him for pointers on how exactly to conduct himself. Apparently it was a free-for-all - or _buffet, _if you wanted to sound sophisticated - where everyone pretty much just grabbed whatever they wanted.

Gale shuffled behind Katniss, coming up to his first choice of fuel: burgers and hotdogs. He looked at them just long enough to recognize what they were, and unceremoniously dumped one of each onto his plate. Then came his next choice: fried chicken.

He automatically reached out a hand to grab a juicy looking wing, but stopped when he saw a fly buzz off of it. Gale went to choose another piece, but his hand was violently slapped away by the person at the other side of the table.

Shocked, Gale looked up, his eyes meeting a very stern-looking Prim. He immediately recoiled his hand from the chicken, genuinely scared of the little girl before him. She raised a menacing finger at him.

"You _touch_ it, you _take_ it." She said, deadly serious.

Eyes wide, Gale reached back for the chicken wing, and, keeping his eyes on her the entire time, slowly placed it back on his plate. Satisfied, Prim turned her attention back to whatever food she had been contemplating on choosing, and just like that, she was back to her sweet, innocent self. Gale stood there for a few more seconds, and when Prim had moved to the other table, he immediately put the chicken back in the pile, switching it out for another one.

_"Hey!"_

He didn't bother turning to look at the person complaining behind him, instead choosing to ignore them and focus on finding another, _safer_, dish to try.

* * *

**A/N: Woah, Prim got srsly srs there, didn't she? 0.0 But why not? Food is no laughing matter! (A)/**

**The fly thing actually happened to me, with the exception of me getting caught XD**

** It's just so gross when you see any type of bug on your food, and although I do feel kind of guilty for letting someone else put that tainted hot dog or burger into their mouths, I _don't_ feel bad about not eating it myself, because let's face it, it's my mouth...wow, that sounded terrible. E****rh, never mind! D:**

**Anyway, hopefully lunch will only last for another chapter or so, and then the _real_ hilarity can ensue ;)**


	11. Freakin' Adorable

**A/N: I do not own The Hunger Games.**

* * *

Chapter eleven: Freakin' Adorable~

* * *

Gale plopped down on the bench next to Prim, ever wary of her changing attitude. Mrs. Everdeen was talking with Sae, Rory was still cavorting around the dessert table, and Katniss was sitting directly across from him. He wanted to sit next to her, but thought it would be best if he let her cool down. Granted, she normally _would_ be cooled down by now, but he wanted to be sure.

Better safe than sorry.

Gale noticed her staring at the ridiculously stacked pile of food on his plate. He knew that no matter how mad she was at him, she would say something about it - she never ceased to voice her opinion on something that annoyed her. Sooner or later.

Sensing her obvious discomfort, Gale happily dug into his food. All he had to do now was wait.

...

...

"...What is _that_?"

See?

Hiding a grin, Gale looked down at his plate, stacked mile high, poking at the various groups of food with a plastic fork.

"Well, let's see...we've got burgers...hot dogs...mac n cheese, noodles, chicken, fruit, salad...um, oh! And baked beans. Aaaand a half a biscuit." Gale finished, taking a dramatically large bite out of the biscuit in his hand and chewing in large chomps.

Try as she might, Katniss couldn't stop the upward tugging at the corners of her lips. She tried to suppress it, he could tell, but in the end, she smiled. It was a strange smile - strained and kind of creepy - but it was a smile nonetheless, and it made Gale smile, too.

With the waters successfully tested, he thought of moving to the other side of the table to join Katniss, but he was beat to the punch. Gale watched, no longer smiling, as Cato sauntered up to their table and set down his plate next to his friend's, all but claiming his seat. The blond seemed oblivious to Gale's dismay, and poked his fork around the salad he would soon be eating absent mindedly before opening his mouth to speak.

"So how you been, Kit-kat? It's been forever since I've seen you."

Katniss smiled, a genuine, unhindered one this time, and answered, "I've been doing fine. I mean, I've been better, but...you know." She trailed off, and Gale wanted to punch this 'Cato' person for not being around when Katniss' father died.

Katniss cleared her throat, and attempted to change the subject. "So, um, what about you? How have you been?"

Cato looked down at his salad, brow etched in thought. "Uh...oh! I got my license!"

Katniss blinked, as if unsure of what she'd just heard. "Really? Wow, that's great."

Cato smiled. "Yeah, I know, right? I even got accepted into Panem University. Your mom was just telling me you got accepted too. That right?"

Gale's jaw dropped. She never said anything about college. Not to him, at least. But apparently _he_ wasn't important. Oh, _no!_ Not _Gale_, the kid who stuck by her through thick and thin, the only one who defended her when all the other kids picked on her, the one guy she could truly depend on...

Katniss looked from Cato to Gale, a classic deer-in-the-headlights expression plastered on her face.

"U-uh...y-yeah, I...I did get accepted. But, I-I haven't _told_ anyone yet," she said, sending Cato the clear message that he had just spilled the beans.

Cato looked at her, mouth open, then around the table at everyone else. He looked like he was about to apologize when Prim spoke up.

"I didn't know you got accepted into Panem."

Katniss smiled, relieved to have been given an exit. "Oh, well I was going to tell you. I was going to tell all of you, actually. You know...after today."

Gale let out a breath. For some reason he felt a bit better knowing that Prim had been in the dark about this, too. Perhaps because it meant that Katniss wasn't keeping secrets from him. Or something. Either way, he was able to begin deflating his anger with this comforting thought.

And then _Cato_ opened his mouth again.

"Well, I'm...sorry, guys. I didn't know it was supposed to be a surprise. But it's great, though, isn't it? Maybe you and I'll be attending the same school." He grinned.

It was bad enough having to sit there _listening_ to this idiot - he was _already_ ready to start flipping tables and shit - but when Katniss actually smiled back, Gale all but lost it. Without a second thought, he reeled his foot back and kicked as hard as he could, making contact with the shin of-

_"OW!"_

-Katniss?

Katniss doubled over, leaning against the wood of the table as she reached down to cradle her aching shin, face twisted in pain.

_"Gale! What was _that_ for?"_

Embarrassed at his mistake - and clear miscalculation of angle and distance - Gale immediately went to cover his blunder of misdirected anger. He was just glad there was so much chatter going on around them that no one noticed his idiocy.

"Oh, man, I'm sorry, Catnip! I thought I felt a...dog, against my foot."

Katniss turned her face to give him a horror-struck look. "You tried to _kick_ Aunt Effie's _dog?_" She asked, disbelief in her eyes.

Gale, eyes wide, immediately backtracked. "Rat! I meant rat!"

Katniss continued to look at him as though he were from Mars, and Cato moved to help ease her pain-filled shin. Gale, uncomfortable with the idea of his hands hovering over his best friend's legs, abruptly stood up, 'accidentally' knocking Cato's salad onto his lap in the process, covering the man in leaves and dressing.

Of course, Gale made a faux attempt at apology. "Oh, man, I'm sorry."

"It's okay. I've got an extra shirt in my car," Cato waved off, getting up and walking out of the shelter as he gave Katniss a pat on the back.

Seeing his chance, Gale made his way around the table and usurped Cato's seat.

"Hey, I'm _really_ sorry, Catnip. Is there anything I can do to make it better?" He asked, grabbing hold of her ankle as she twisted around to sit sideways against the bench.

"You can turn around and start _walking_- _ow!_"

Gale rested her leg across his lap. "Here, lemme see..." he rolled up her pant leg, grimacing when he saw her shin.

"Oh my God..." he said, eyes widening with concern.

Katniss shifted uncomfortably beside him.

"What? What is it?" She asked, panic rising in her voice.

"Your shin. It's...it's..."

"_What?_ It's _what?!_"

Gale jerked her pant leg up to her knee, lifting her leg up to his shoulder so she could see.

"Fine!" He said, smiling goofishly. "It's absolutely fine!"

Katniss scowled at him, not in the least bit amused. She moved to punch him but he hoisted her leg up higher, preventing her from reaching.

Gale laughed. "No, seriously, look! There's not a bruise or anything!" He said, trying to point at her shin as she wriggled from his grip.

Finally he released her from his hold, his grin still in place. Katniss huffed, crossing her arms and hunching over. Gale knew she would hate for him to say this, but she looked like an angry little kid. He really shouldn't have, but in all honesty he simply couldn't help himself as he scooted closer and, smiling, reached up to pinch her cheeks.

"Aww, you're so _cute_ when you're mad..." he cooed in a mock baby voice, pouting a smile.

He could almost feel the heat of her blood pressure rising under his fingertips as she replied with dripping sarcasm,

"Yeah, well I'm about to get real _freakin_' adorable."

Katniss wrenched his hands away from her face and, huffing, snatched up her plate.

"I'm going to get dessert," she announced curtly.

And without waiting for a response, stomped - make that limped - off in the direction of the food tables, face flushed with anger.

Gale, seeing that she was now out of earshot, let loose the laughter he had been containing. He really shouldn't have done it, he knew, but sometimes he just couldn't resist ruffling her feathers a bit. It was just so _funny_, watching her get all riled up. And if he was being completely honest with himself she _did_ get pretty darn cute when she was angry.

Letting out one final chuckle, Gale twisted back around in his seat, ready to dig back into his waiting food. He reached across the table to bring his plate over to his side, but paused when he saw that someone was staring at him. Prim sat expressionless across from him, eyes challenging.

He didn't want to admit it, but he knew; she knew what he was trying to do, and he knew that she knew that he knew that she knew, too. Question was, was she going to do anything about it?

Finally finding the means to make his muscles work again, Gale grabbed hold of the sides of his plate, and slowly dragged it across the table, eyes locked with Prim. They stared at each other for a bit longer before Gale finally spoke up.

_"What?"_ He asked, eyes challenging.

Prim said nothing, but broke eye contact with him and went back to her food. With nothing more to say, Gale picked up his fork and, thinking of Cato, unnecessarily stabbed at his salad.

* * *

**A/N: Whew, this was a long chapter! I really wanted to shorten it, but I just couldn't find very many edges to trim :/ **

**There'll be one more lunch chapter, and then it's on to the fun stuff! :D**

**I'd like to take another moment to say thank you to all who reviewed. I'm finally starting to understand what all those other fanfiction authors mean when they say it keeps them going. Thank you! X3**

**'Til next time. **


	12. Education, pt 1

**A/N: Oh no! I have a _life_ now! D: **

**lol jk, jk XD**

**Sorry I haven't updated in a while (has it seriously only been a few days?) but I got lazy, got busy, and then I got sick :P It's all good now, though, so don't worry :)**

**Someone left a guest review for this story saying that they didn't understand why Gale would get jealous over Katniss spending time with her cousins. This is a perfectly good point and I'm honestly surprised that no one else has bothered to point it out earlier XD **

**So allow me to explain: The fact of the matter is, Cato and Peeta are not related to Katniss in this fic. _But wait!_, you say. _How can dis be?!_ D: Well, I'll tell you...in the next chapter XD**

**SO, enjoy this two-parter that will explain the ever-complicated relationships of Katniss Everdeen.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games.**

* * *

Chapter twelve: Education, pt. 1~

* * *

When Katniss finally came back from the dessert table, Gale was less than shocked to find her plate was filled with little more than a cupcake and a few cookies. She had never been one for sweets, and only indulged in them if it was (a), a special occasion, or (b), because she was dared to...or because she was really mad. But that couldn't possibly be the case this time, now could it?

While she was away, Gale couldn't help but think of Cato and Peeta. He wasn't going to lie, he was still proud of himself for driving them away (it _was_ pretty freaking hilarious) but while he sat at the Everdeen's lunch table, chewing his food and keeping his eyes warily on Prim, he also couldn't help but remind himself of where he was: the Everdeen's family reunion.

Reunion.

Of family.

_Family._

After taking a few more thoughtful chews of his mac n cheese, Gale was flabbergasted to find that he had been so caught up with the ridiculous amount of attention Katniss was receiving from guys he barely knew that he had actually forgotten where they were. This was a _family_ reunion. Cato and Peeta were cousins. Katniss and _Peeta_ were cousins. Cato and _Katniss_ were cousins!

Now of course, for Gale, this was great news. After all, legally the only exchanges between Katniss and the two blond men - er, make that one man and one boy - could be on friendly, familial terms. Of the familial kind. As in, families. And if this were the case (which it had to be) then Gale could loosen up, Katniss could be happy, and he wouldn't have to worry. Er, not that he ever worried in the first place; Gale already knew he was the best choice for Katniss - after all, he was.

It was a win-win situation.

For him.

Not for Cato.

...Or Peeta.

Katniss sat back down in her spot on the bench, next to Gale. This was a good sign, because if she were really mad, then she wouldn't even have sat at the same table as him. So this was good. She wasn't mad anymore, and neither was he. In fact, he was happy.

Really happy.

Apparently _too_ happy, because Katniss stared him down like a two-headed fish she had just cought in a net and wasn't sure what to do with.

"Why are you smiling?" She asked, gripping her tray as though ready to move to another seat at the slightest sign of trouble.

Gale started to chuckle. "I just realized what an idiot I've been."

She blinked. "You're only just realizing that now?"

He looked at her and smiled. "Hey, your first witty comeback! That's great, I'm so proud of you!"

He lifted his hand up to her face with the intention of pinching her cheek, but paused when she instinctively jerked her head back, giving him a warning look. Gale began to recoil his hand, but just when she leaned back to her original position, he quickly reached up and pinched it, laughing when he was too quick for her to swat away.

She grumbled and munched on her chocolate chip cookie, the action reminding him of an irritated dog digging into a slab of meat. Or maybe a wolf. Wolves were cooler.

Annoyance couldn't quell her curiosity, however, and after a few moments of silence Katniss opened her chocolate-encrusted mouth again.

"So what have you been stupid about?"

Taking a bite out of his burger, Gale replied, "Oh, you know. Cato and," he swallowed, dreading to say the damn-near-_f__eminine_ name, "Peeta. I've been a total ass-"

_"Gale!"_

Katniss widened her eyes at him, turning her gaze towards Prim. Blinking once, twice, Gale realized his mistake and made to correct himself.

"A...uh, idiot. It shouldn't make any difference to me if you wanna spend some quality time with your cousins. I mean, like you said, you only see 'em once a year. And you see me every day, so, I'm sorry for being a total attention wh-"

_"Gale!"_

"...Hog."

Looking down at her cookie, Katniss soaked in his words, thoughtfully mulling over what he had just said. Suddenly, she turned toward him, brow wrinkled.

"What cousins?"

Gale blinked, bewildered. "Uh...Cato and Peeta?"

"They're not my cousins."

His jaw nearly fell to the floor. "W-what? They're not?"

"No," she replied, shaking her head.

"Wha- then what the hell are they?!" He exclaimed, all but throwing his hands into the air.

_"Gale!"_ Katniss chastised, motioning her eyes once again to Prim.

Sighing in irritation, she leaned in close to his ear. "Allow me to educate you."

* * *

**A/N: No, not _that_ kind of educate. Ya pervs :P**

**So yeah, I wanted to bring it up (the cousin thing) in previous chapters, but I just couldn't find a spot for it to fit in well enough for my liking :/**

**Anyway, click ahead to read my well-crafted excuse as to why Cato and Peeta are of no relation to Katniss! :D**


	13. Education, pt 2

**A/N: The moment of truth! :D**

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games.**

* * *

Chapter thirteen: Education, pt. 2~

* * *

Katniss pulled away from his ear, but only just enough so she could look around without her face colliding with his.

"You see that table over there?" She asked, pointing discreetly at a table on the other side of the shelter.

Gale looked; it was filled with people like that 'Effie' person. He cringed.

"Yeah."

"Those are the Trinkets," she explained. "They're all..."

"Weird?" Gale suggested.

"...'Artistic'." She finished nicely.

She pointed at each member of the Trinket family. "That's Caesar, Effie's husband. And you've already met Aunt Effie,"

Of course, how could he_ forget?_

Katniss continued. "And that's Seneca, their son. He's an artist." She said.

Gale looked at the remaining two people sitting at the Trinket table. "Well, what about them? How are they..."

Katniss looked to where he was gesturing, eyebrows lifting. "Oh, that's Cinna and his daughter Rue. Cinna's adopted. He's a very successful makeup artist," she clarified.

Gale looked down in thought. Okay. So the Trinkets were artists and consisted of Effie, Caesar, Seneca, Cinna, and Rue. Got it.

"What about them?" He asked, nodding in the direction of the table just behind the Trinkets.

Katniss followed his nod, cringing when her eyes landed on the family of interest. "Oh. Those are the _Odairs_."

Brow creased in confusion, Gale turned his head to be sure they were both talking about the same family. He immediately recognized the guy Johanna had been talking to earlier. Finnick, he believed. He turned back to Katniss.

"What's wrong them?"

She looked at him as though he couldn't have asked a dumber question.

"They're all models and sports jockies and they think they're better than everyone else." She poked at her cupcake with a fork. "Not to mention _annoying_..." she mumbled.

"Why? They seem perfectly fine to me," Gale said, turning to look at them again.

It was true. They looked...perfect.

"That's just because they're sitting next to the Trinkets," she said offhandedly, taking a bite of her vanilla cupcake.

Oh.

Gale looked back at her, resisting the rising chuckle he felt creeping up his throat at the sight of her stuffed cheeks.

"And, just to be sure, they _are_ related to you. Right?"

She soured her face and rolled her eyes. "_Please_. They're stuck up and overbearing. Of _course_ they're related to us. Do you think I would hang out with people like that on _purpose?_" She swallowed, exhaling in annoyance.

"Next family, please?"

Gale began to look around, stopping when he heard a boom of laughter from behind him.

"What about them?" He asked, throwing his head back in the direction of the laughs.

Gale wouldn't have done it, but Katniss had no problem in twisting around in her seat to take a good look at the family in question. She gave them a long, hard look, and Gale felt a creeping feeling of self consciousness the longer she stared, because anyone could easily catch them. He sighed in relief when she turned back around.

"Those are the Masons. Johanna belongs to them."

Gale inwardly cringed. He wished he wouldn't have asked.

Katniss continued in naming them off. "Clove and Marvel are her siblings, and Enobaria is their mother. Their father died a few years ago. They're all track runners and baseball stars. And...sport people."

"You mean athletes?" Gale chuckled.

Her cheeks reddened. "Yeah. That."

Gale looked around, eyes landing on the table in front of theirs.

"What's the deal with those guys?" He asked, gaze resting on Peeta, who was seated at the table across from he and Katniss.

Katniss looked beyond Prim's head to see who he was referring to. Her face instantly lightened.

"Oh, those are the Abernathy's. They're okay. You see that old guy?" She asked, pointing between Peeta and a blonde girl's head.

Gale leaned over to get a better look, his eyes landing on a rather sullen looking blond man.

"Yeah," he said.

"That's my uncle." She said.

Gale looked again. He wasn't sure if he would have told anyone that; he looked like a depressed, nasty old drunk. But, then again, he supposed that it wouldn't hurt if he only saw him once a year. Gale struggled with his reply, trying to find something nice to say.

"He looks..."

"He's an alcoholic." Katniss said, sparing him the effort. "He's been trying to quit since last year, so that's why he looks so awful." She held up a finger to point at them. "His name is Haymitch. And that's Peeta, and that's Glimmer."

"What about that one?" Gale asked, raising a hand to point at the redhead sitting next to Haymitch.

Katniss panickingly jerked his hand down, grabbing hold of his shoulder to bring him down to her level.

"Don't point, she hates that," she whispered to him. "That's Foxface. She's the only redhead in the family. She's really sensitive about it."

Gale pulled away and studied the girl's face. She did kind of look like a fox.

_"Don't stare, either."_ Katniss admonished.

He averted his gaze, a question that had been waiting to be asked since ten minutes ago ready on his lips.

"...So how is Peeta not related to you?" He finally asked, crossing his arms on the table.

Katniss answered without hesitation. "He was the son of Haymitch's neighbors. His parents died in a car crash and with no one else to take care of him, Haymitch stepped in. He's kind of unofficially adopted."

Oh, great. A _sob story_. How was he supposed to compete with that?

"Oh..." was all he said.

They sat in silence, Gale contemplating Peeta, and Katniss no doubt thinking about how sorry she felt for the kid. Which only begged the other question: what about Cato?

"Well, what about Cato?" Gale asked, picking at a loose splinter in the wooden table.

"He's just the grandson of a family friend." Katniss replied. "Are you happy now?"

To be honest, _no_, Gale _wasn't_ happy. In fact, he was less than happy. Why _would_ he be happy? He just found out about two other men - make that one - in his best friend's life. He was no longer the center of attention. And Gale wasn't going to lie, he loved attention.

But this wasn't about that. It was about the fact that he was no longer the only one (besides their families, of course) in Katniss' life. When he thought about it he supposed it _was_ really selfish of him to have so many other friends he could spend time with yet expect Katniss to have none, and even though she wouldn't say anything, she _had_ to have wanted another friend besides him. He knew he would if _he_ were her...well, actually if he were her then he would want whatever she wanted, because he would be her...er, never mind.

Anyway, if he were in Katniss' _position_, Gale would definitely want more friends. Simple as that. And he wanted Katniss to have more friends, too...just...not any of the ones here. But, rather than tell_ her_ that, he chose to do what best friends usually did when they had a disagreement.

He lied.

"Uh, yeah. I'm great," Gale smiled.

There was a moment where he thought she might have seen through his lie, but it was quickly dispelled when she shifted her gaze elsewhere. It was then that he noticed Prim on the other side of the table, smiling knowingly at him. Gale swallowed, even though he had nothing in his mouth.

Just then, Rory came prancing up to their table, taking a seat next to Prim, plate piled with exquisite looking homemade desserts. Rather than reprimand him, Gale just shook his head and took another bite of his burger.

"Hey, dufus, you got something on your chin." Rory said through chewed food.

Gale attempted to look down at his chin, moving a finger up to wipe it off (whatever 'it' was).

"No, no," Rory said, waving a hand sideways. "your third one."

Gale looked up at his little brother, face blank with disbelief and shock.

He only hoped that he could make it through the rest of the day.

* * *

**A/N: Yep, so there you have it. Perfectly believable, right? :D Right? :) ...Right? :| Am I right?! :( **

**Lol.**

**Anyway, now that lunch is over the real fun can begin! I'll try and have a chapter up real soon ;)**

**'Til next time.**


	14. Competition

**A/N: Here I am! :D You know...again ^^; lol anyway, here's another chapter. **

**I feel like I'm getting waaaayy too OOC. The story started out perfectly, but after the last few chapters I feel like I'm steering off-course XD SO, this chapter is meant to be a gentle push back towards legitimacy...you know. As legitimate as a fanfic can get. Haha ^^**

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games.**

* * *

Chapter fourteen: Competition~

* * *

After lunch, Gale decided he needed a break from all of this 'family' business. He loved the Everdeens, but he wasn't so sure about their relatives. It was hard to believe even half of them were related to Katniss in any way - heck, it was hard to believe she was related to her own family sometimes.

Mrs. Everdeen was polite and shy, Prim was innocent and vibrant, and Katniss was...Katniss. She was quiet and reserved, with hard features and cold, grey eyes, and was very rough around the edges, but only in the sense that a diamond is rough before it's cut to perfection. And Gale couldn't believe how hormoneless she was, so much so that he likened her to a robot for the first few years of their uneasy friendship.

In fact, she was_ still_ pretty hormoneless - she never blushed when men walked by, never stuttered when they talked to her, and she _certainly_ didn't get embarrassed in front of them. But she was also mature beyond her years (probably even his), and she held a quiet fire in her eyes that Gale liked to think only he could see.

He wasn't quite sure when or how he'd started to think of her romantically - maybe it was how different she was from other girls, maybe it was just the amount of time they spent together - but Gale knew that he would be perfectly fine spending the rest of his life with her, whether it be on friendly terms or otherwise.

While Katniss was occupied with Prim and Rory, Gale took the chance to silently excuse himself. He thought about heading over to the swing set, but it suddenly appeared far too close to the playground, and God forbid if he was going to be back_ there_ any time soon. So, he changed his direction to the opposite end of the park. He decided on the restrooms; he didn't really have to go, but he figured it was the one place where he could be alone, rather than surrounded by..._them_.

And besides - it was the only place for miles with four walls.

He exhaled at such a blissful thought, and before he knew it Gale's feet were moving toward the place of interest. He walked past the shelter, past the circle of camping chairs, and started on the long strip of sidewalk that led to the bathrooms. He passed several people on the way there, some of which he recognized and some he had never seen before in his life.

Gale looked to his right, noticing how packed the parking lot was. He tried spotting the Everdeen's van, but was unsuccessful. Giving up, he looked to his left. The baseball diamond he had noticed earlier was still there, but no one was playing. Maybe they were saving it for later.

Gale finally reached the restrooms, and he felt as though he had walked a mile to get to it. Through a desert. It was a single building, split down the middle for women and men; girls on the left, boys on the right. He picked up his pace, the idea of privacy (no matter how temporary) seeming more and more appealing by the second.

Just as he was about to reach the entrance, he heard talking. Voices, conversation. Coming from the women's room. And one of them sounded scarily familiar. Acting fast, Gale pivoted around to hide himself. He hid behind the women's side, pressing himself against the concrete wall, the coldness hitting his spine almost immediately.

Gale watched, frozen in fear, as_ Johanna_ exited the women's room. She was talking to one of the Odairs, but he didn't know who because Katniss had glossed over them when they were talking about her relatives. The blonde woman laughed at something Johanna said, and the two walked right past him, oblivious to his presence.

Gale let out a breath. Thank _God_. He unglued himself from the wall, checking once more to be sure that no other horrors emerged from the hellish portal known as the women's restroom. Satisfied with the lack of sound coming from said room, Gale walked over to the men's...and ran smack into Cato.

Gale stumbled back, barely able to right himself before he fell backwards onto the hard concrete, and Cato did the same, grabbing hold of the door frame to keep from falling.

"Aw, man. I am so sorry, man, I..." Cato began spitting out apologies, but stopped when he recognized Gale. "Oh, hey. You're Katniss' friend," he said, voice suddenly distant.

"The one and only," Gale said, giving him a bittersweet smile as he dusted himself off.

They stood there for a few moments, each standing in the other's way. Cato made a move to let him pass, but just as Gale moved to take the opening he blocked his way again.

"Look," he said, sounding like a grownup talking down to a child. "I may be completely wrong here, but I get the feeling you don't like me."

_No, where'd he get that idea?_

"Now, it's perfectly fine with me if you don't, but it'd be nice if we could lay off the hostilities." Cato finished.

Gale smiled. "I have no idea what you're talkin' about, buddy."

Cato's face shifted to stoic, lifting a hand to pinch the bridge of his nose. "Look, it'd be nice if we could cut the bullshit. I know you like Katniss. And I don't blame you, she's a great girl. But you really don't have to worry about me being 'competition' or whatever, because she's not into me like that and I don't see her like that either. Okay?"

To say Gale was taken aback was a bit of an understatement. He was...he was...

He didn't even know.

But it was far beyond flabbergasted, that was for sure.

He stared at Cato for a moment, automatically replying, "Okay. Sure."

The blond slapped Gale's shoulder. "Great." He smiled, moving out of his way. "You don't have much of a chance as it is anyway, so it's only fair that I get out of the picture," Cato said politely as he made to walk back towards the shelter.

Finally finding his voice, Gale turned around to call after him. "Hey, what do you mean I don't have a chance?"

Cato turned around, smiling as innocently as a baby. "I think we both know the answer to that one, bro."

Gale blinked, narrowing his eyes and knitting his brows. "What's _that_ supposed to mean?"

Cato lifted his eyebrows, placing his hands on his hips. "How long have you known Katniss?" He asked. His tone reminded Gale of a self-help guru.

"Six years." He replied, not knowing where this was going.

"And how long have you liked her?"

"...About three."

"And during that time, has she made _any_ romantic advances toward you?"

Gale grew silent, mulling over their interactions over the past few months. Ultimately, he drew a blank.

Cato smiled, holding his arms out. "Face it, man. You've been friend-zoned."

Gale stared after him as he turned and walked away, dumbfounded. He was shocked, angry, annoyed, irritated, livid...need he go on? But most of all, he was angry at himself. Because Cato was right. Over the course of the six long years he had known her, not _once_ did Katniss ever express any romantic interest in him. She didn't even like _talking_ about romance or love. So who was he to think she would feel the same as he did?

Gale snapped out of his horrific epiphany, turning back around to face the entrance to the restroom. He paused for a moment at going in - he suddenly felt like he didn't belong there. He glanced over at the women's room; he was feeling so many different emotions right now that he wondered if_ that_ was where he should be heading...

Dismissing the thought, Gale pushed open the door to the men's and went inside.

He should be ashamed to call himself a man...

* * *

**A/N: Uh-oh, Gale's having some doubts D: But don't worry. He'll bounce back ;)  
**

**I feel much better about this chapter, but I'll let you be the judge of that :P  
**

**I'd like to take a moment to thank all of my reviewers, especially Jay's Song. You've reviewed every single chapter, and you always have something good to say. You are the light of my virtual life right now. lol XD  
**

**I also want to thank Guest for reviewing the last chapter. We all have different levels of weird, but I'm glad that mine is suitable to you lol ;)**

**Anyway, I'm going to be away for a while. Why? Because I am _sick_ and _tired_ of not being at least one chapter ahead T_T SO, to remedy this, I'm going to dedicate the next week or so to typing up chapters, and chapters only! ('-')/**

**See you in two weeks! (hopefully less) :D  
**


	15. In Your Face!

**A/N: I'm back! :D Well, not really. I just wanted to give you guys a little something to read while you wait for the big stuff. Enjoy! :3**

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games.**

* * *

Chapter 15: In Your Face!~

* * *

After doing his business, Gale began to make his way back to the shelter. He still felt utterly defeated, hopeless, and useless, but that didn't stop him from strutting out of the men's room like a boss...or from pitifully crawling back to his designated 'friend-zone' to be with Katniss again. Still, he had to hand it to Cato; he knew what he was talking about.

Katniss had never shown any interest in...well, men in general, really, but especially not in Gale. He knew that she didn't – *ahem***** – 'bat for the other team', but he also knew that she had never once mentioned or said anything about a guy (romantically, at least) to him. Not now, not then, not ever.

As he walked along the concrete path leading back to the shelter, Gale spotted a small group of sports jockeys (Odairs, by the looks of them) tossing a football back and forth with all the finesse and grace of professionals. He would have scoffed to himself, but he was far too caught up in his own thoughts to care for the flawless techniques of a family he didn't even know. And so, he kept walking.

...Still, he couldn't help but hold on to the small sliver of hope that she just hadn't experienced the full concept of relationships yet. She was a late bloomer; maybe her hormones were still catching up with her, too.

_'At 18 years old?'_ his mind all but shouted.

Gale had to remind himself that he was in a public place to keep from slapping himself in an attempt to spite his stupid conscience. But it – er, his conscience – was right. If Katniss hadn't shown the even slightest trickle of attraction to him by now, she probably never would. Ever. At all. Gale sighed.

You know, sometimes he just wanted to-

BAM!

A tremendous force struck him in the head and he stumbled, trying to catch himself (for the second time that day) from falling embarrassingly to the ground. For a moment he was seeing stars, but in a blink they were gone and Gale found himself staring at the perpetrator; a football. A flipping _football. _Looking up, he saw the Odair kids lingering on the edge of the sidewalk, as though unsure if they should approach him (or waste their time apologizing. Whichever).

Their leader – Finnick, if he remembered right – stepped forward.

"Sorry about that. Annie's still working on her throws." He said easily, flashing a lady-swooning grin that rivaled Gale's own.

The woman in question moved to stand behind Finnick, a shy – if not a little embarrassed - apologetic smile on her face. Gale flashed a grin of his own her way, and Annie looked as if she were about to faint. Clearing his throat, Finnick stepped forward again, blocking Annie from his view.

"So; you gonna be participating in the family baseball game?" He asked, smile back in place.

Gale didn't miss a beat. "Yeah, I am, actually. Why? Is it some kinda 'Everdeens only' thing?"

Finnick smirked. "No. It's just that we're pretty...well. You'll see."

Gale's eyebrows came together in confusion (and slight weirded-out-ness) as the bronze-haired man smiled wryly, stepped past him, bent down, and rose back up to his full height, the football in hand. As he glanced at it, Gale he realized it had 'ODAIRS' scribbled on it in faded black marker. Huh. He guessed they had had problems in the past concerning family property.

Or something.

"See you around," said Finnick, turning around and wrapping an arm around Annie and kissing his sister's forehead.

Seeing that they were returning to their game, Gale resumed his path back to the shelter. He wasn't really sure what Katniss had against them. They were...well, as she'd said, perfect. And that, in his opinion, was a perfectly fine thing to be, especially compared to some of the other, rather _obvious_...let's say, 'dysfunctional' families, _Peeta and Johanna's_ being the two prime examples. But still, he didn't see why Katniss thought they were-

"Hey!"

Gale turned back around, seeing Finnick calling him from a distance.

"Thanks for taking that hit! Would've been a shame if it'd hit my car." He shouted, smiling an eye-shattering smile.

He once again turned his attention back to his family members, and Gale took the opportunity to look at the 'car' he had so _lovingly _mentioned. His mouth nearly fell open as his eyes landed on a very, _very_ expensive-looking Corvette ZR1. It was yellow, had racing stripes, and was _blindingly_ shiny. Finnick probably got loads of girls with that thing.

Ignoring the sudden surge of envy that flowed through his veins, Gale forced himself to tear his gaze away from the car that was worth more than his own home, and, for what felt like the hundredth time that day, began walking toward his goal again. _What the hell did these people_ do_ for a living? _Gale sighed. Where was he?

Oh, yeah.

Never mind.

* * *

**A/N: Wow, no reviews yet? What madness is this? D: **

**Lol, jk XD**

**As much as I _really_ hate to say it, I haven't written ANYTHING over the past week except this! D:**

**I really wanted to, I just couldn't think of exactly where to take the story next. I know how I want it to go and I know how I want it to end, as well as key points and events and stuff that happen, I'm just having a bit of trouble organizing them ^^; **

**But the main reason I haven't updated is because I've been using a tablet to write the chapters so far. And I. Am. Sick of it. I absolutely despise that little 7" touch-keyboard, and I've been thinking of buying a bluetooth keyboard so I can write on the go, but I can't afford it. This chapter was typed on a laptop, but it's a **_**family **_**laptop, so it takes forever for me to get a turn XD**

**So...yyyyyeeeeeaaaahh :/ **

**But anyway, I'm out of my funk (of sorts), so I'm going to speed ahead and type type type! :D**

**'Til next time!**


	16. Still Hope Yet

**A/N: WELL,_ that_ didn't work XD **

**I spent like a two-week vacation from this story so I could get ahead in my writing and I'm only like, one chapter ahead. Oh, well ^^; Normally I'm on the ball about this stuff, but I got slapped in the face with a super busy work week and barely any warning. But hey; I'm here now, right? ...Right, guys? *crickets* **

**Um..*ahem*, anyway...**

**Here's another chapter :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games.**

* * *

Chapter 16: Still Hope Yet~

* * *

When Gale reached the shelter, Katniss wasn't there. He searched the seemingly endless bodies three times over with no luck. And he _sure_ as Hell wasn't about to ask Aunt _Effie_ for directions. Finally deciding to give up another sweep of the same faces, Gale slipped out through a pair of open double-doors to go look for his friend.

He looked toward the playground, the swing sets, and the open field before him, finding no one resembling in the slightest whom he was looking for. It was when he look in the _other_ direction that he found her. Katniss was sitting in one of the camping chairs near the parking lot, chatting happily to...ugh, _Peeta._ They sat across from each other in the circle of seats, nearly every one of which was taken. Talking it up like the best of friends.

Well, not for long.

Without further consideration, Gale made purposeful steps toward the two young teenagers, dodging people and pets and little kids on scooters as he did so. He finally came to stand at the arm of Katniss' chair, and she laughed over something Peeta had said before turning her attention to him. She smiled up at him, though she didn't look quite pleased to see him. Maybe it was because of the tightness of his expression or the rigidness of his shoulders. Or maybe it was because of his poor attempts at reigning in the obvious discomfort rolling off him in _waves_, but either way, Gale didn't really care at the moment.

Katniss spoke first. "Hey. What's up?"

He opened his mouth to speak, but was beat to the punch by a worn, gravelly voice.

"Who's that?"

Katniss turned in her seat, and Gale followed her gaze to the man sitting next to her. It was that blond guy that was taking care of Peeta. Mitch? Mitchel?

"Oh, this is Gale, uncle Haymitch."

Haymitch! That was it.

Haymitch leaned over in his seat to gaze past his niece's head and get a better look at Gale. He looked him over disapprovingly (if not uninterestedly) before shaking his head slightly and slouching back in his seat.

"He your boyfriend or something?" He asked, taking a swig of beer.

Gale couldn't see her face, but judging by the way her body jerked as though struck by lightning, he guessed Katniss was shocked beyond all reason at the very_ notion_ of being romantically involved with him. How encouraging.

"W-what? _No!_ No. He's...he's just a friend, uncle Haymitch."

Haymitch took another sip of his drink. He scoffed. "Whatever, Sweetheart. Just say the word. I'll kick his ass if you need me to."

Katniss turned away from her uncle, blinking furiously as a blush rose to her cheeks. Gale watched, amused, as she stared at the ground, and then at her feet, and then back again. He began to smile. She was cute on the rare occasions that she did that.

...

Wait a minute.

They were friends. Friends didn't blush. Especially not about each other.

Maybe there was still hope for him yet.

* * *

**A/N: This chapter was gonna be a bit longer but I cut if off here :P**

**Anyway, don't worry about the updates. I'm still gonna try and type like, every day. Or every other day. Whenever I've got time. Which should be a lot because I think my work load is gradually slowing down. **

**I think. Lol XD**

**'Til next time! :)**


	17. Levels of Manliness and Finding Prim

**A/N: Whoo, and I'm back! Again! HA! :D**

**Okay, so this chapter picks up IMMEDIATELY where the last one left off. JUST so you know ;)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games.**

* * *

Chapter 17: Levels of Manliness and Finding Prim~

* * *

Gale was so caught up in his new-found realization that he didn't notice Katniss had been staring at him for over a minute.

"Gale?"

His head snapped up at the sound of his name, and Gale's eyes landed on a _very_ freaked-out Katniss.

"Yeah?" He asked, unaware of why she was looking at him like he was crazy.

It took her a moment before she could reply. "Why are you smiling like that?"

Gale's face instantly dropped. Had he been smiling? As his expression died he felt his facial muscles immediately relax (particularly the ones near the corners of his mouth).

Guess so.

Feeling a sudden surge of heat rising to his cheeks, Gale scratched the back of his head and looked at the ground, trying to clear his throat and cough some manliness back into him.

Katniss let out a light chuckle, and he could hear her smiling.

"That's better. You were starting to worry me, there."

Letting out a puff of hot air, Gale looked back up at his friend. "What, is a guy not allowed to smile anymore?"

She thought a moment. "Mmm...no, but it's weird when you do it like that. If you're not careful, you may lose your current level of manliness."

"_Manliness?_ Hey, I'll have you know I'm _plenty_ manly." He shot back, flashing a wink and a smile.

Katniss gave an open-mouthed smile, her body wracking with silent laughs. "_Okay_, Mr. Full-of-himself."

They both chuckled, and fell into silence once again.

"Uh...so, did you want me for something?" He asked, cheeks getting hotter by the second in hopes that she wouldn't ask why he had been acting like a lovesick Peeta.

"Yeah, actually."

Phew.

"I was going to ask you to go get Prim. They're setting up the games."

His head shot up. Go get Prim? She had never asked him to do that before. Like, ever. At all. In fact, he couldn't remember a time she trusted _anyone_ but her mom or herself to find and retrieve her little sister.

This was big. Bigger than big. Katniss was entrusting _him_ of all people with something she had never even _thought_ of asking anyone else. This could be the major turning-point in their relationship...well, one of them, anyway. Things were starting to look up. _Way_ up. And he'd better get it right. Because if he _screwed_ up...

Phew, okay.

Go get Prim. He could do that.

_Anything_ to get him away from the source of his damned blush.

Katniss pursed her lips, briefly gazing at the ground before resting her eyes back on him.

"So you wanna tell me why-"

"Prim! Yeah, lemme go get her," Gale desperately spun around and speed-walked away from her.

She didn't call after him and he didn't turn around, both of which he was glad for.

He slowed his pace a bit after he nearly fell on (and crushed) a 5-year-old, and he was able to _completely_ slow down after almost tripping over an abandoned tricycle. He went inside the shelter, and with his luck, found Prim and Rory within two seconds of searching. He immediately made his way over to the two, hesitating when he saw who they were talking to.

Aunt_ Effie_.

Gale lingered at the edge of the picnic table, waiting for the neon-clad woman to leave. When she did, he made his move. He sauntered in between the tables, ducking low to keep out of Effie's sight. When he reached Prim and his brother, he was at eye-level with them, peaking in between the rows of seats to be sure she had gone. He grabbed hold of Prim's shoulders.

"What are you doing?" Prim asked, looking at him strangely.

He paid her no attention, instead craning his head this way and that as he watched Effie leave the shelter. He sighed in relief.

Turning his attention on Prim, he replied, "Okay. I'm here because-"

There was a flash of red in his peripheral vision, and Gale's gaze was snagged on none other than Johanna Mason. Making a near-silent yelp of surprise (and horror), he yanked Prim over to him and hid behind her, burying his face in endless pigtails.

He peeked over her shoulder.

"Is she gone?"

Prim looked around. "Who?"

"What do you mean, 'who'? _Johanna!_" He whispered.

Prim's gaze caught on the girl in question, and mouthing a silent 'oh' of surprise, nodded. "Yeah, she's leaving."

Breathing an _enormous_ sigh of relief, Gale moved Prim aside and stood up to his full height, straightening himself and dusting off his clothes. Prim raised an eyebrow at his sudden dignity.

"...What?"

She said nothing, merely making a face of disapproval as she shook her head.

"So what'd you want us for?" Rory asked, suddenly speaking up.

Gale still hadn't forgiven him for the little 'stunts' he'd pulled earlier, and the look he gave him made Rory immediately shrink back into the background.

"Katniss wanted me go get _Prim_._ Not_ you." He said, rolling his eyes and tugging on the ends of his shirt to try and straighten it out.

"Katniss? What does she want?" Prim asked, curious.

Pausing in his efforts, Gale looked down at her. "Uh, they're starting the games and Katniss wanted you to know about it."

Her eyes immediately brightened, so much so that Gale could have sworn the entire shelter lightened by two or three shades.

"Well where is she? We always do the games together and we have to be quick, come on!"

Prim grabbed hold of Gale's hand and started to drag him out into the sun, Rory following close behind.

He had never been entrusted to find and retrieve any member of the Everdeen clan before, and Gale was quite pleased with himself that the first attempt had been so successful. Nothing more exciting than a retrieval mission - or, in Prim's case, a rescue mission. From Effie. And Johanna. And everyone else. And he didn't even mess anything up - no altercations, no negative interactions with his best friend's family members - nada.

Katniss would be so proud.

* * *

**A/N: We'll get some more Cato in the next chapters, as well as teams for 'the games' ;)**

**I'd like to thank everyone who reviewed the last couple of chapters. I smile like a _goofball_ whenever I read you guys' reviews, so silly XD Good to have you back, Jaysong, and thank you, Guest! I have not, nor will I ever give up on Everthorne ( '-')/**

**'Til next time!  
**


	18. Cato Climbs a Tree

**A/N: Okay, so I feel like it's been long enough for another update (even though it's only been a few days, lol) so here it is. Pretty dumb chapter title, but it about sums it up. Enjoy :D**

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games.**

* * *

Chapter 18: Cato Climbs a Tree~

* * *

After narrowly escaping certain death at the hands of Effie and Johanna, Gale took Prim and Rory back to Katniss. Peeta was gone, he noticed, and he would be _more_ than happy to take over his seat when they reached their destination. Gale had to admit, he was feeling pretty proud of himself right now. Katniss was sure to be happy that he had so readily (and successfully) brought Prim back to her, if only so she could disappear again.

Either way, he couldn't deny that he was expecting at least _some _sort of reward for his good deed. Nothing extravagant, of course - he could expect nothing less of Katniss - but he expected something, nonetheless. A hug. A pat on the back. Heck, even a smile would do.

Before he could get too far ahead of himself, Gale walked up to Katniss, still in her camping chair, with Rory and Prim close behind.

"Hey, Katniss, I got-"

"Shh, Cato's climbing a tree."

He stopped at her words, eyebrows involuntarily knitting together at the sound of the blond's name. Well so much for his_ reward_. He wanted to give a snide remark or snippy comeback in response to her rather _rude_ interruption. But she wasn't looking at him. She was looking at Cato, and Gale was just background noise.

Hmph.

Looking up, Gale spotting the spikes of blond far up in the tree that everyone - _everyone! -_ seemed to have only the _highest_ interest in. Gale rolled his eyes. So what? It was nothing to get all excited about.

Sure, he was pretty high up, and sure, Gale probably wouldn't have been bold enough to climb up that far, but he had his family to think about. If he got hurt, they wouldn't be able to eat. He didn't have time to go _showing off_ in front of his buddies...family members. Whatever.

So...yeah. Gale was better than him.

Cato stood, wedged in between two thick branches, looking down on the world below - particularly, at Katniss. Again, nothing to worry about. Cato had already said he had no interest in Katniss whatsoever...but _damn_, the way she was looking at him! Like he was the most_ interesting_ thing on the planet! It really burned his insides...

With the attention diverted from him, Gale took a moment to calm himself. The whole reason he was even _here_ was because of Katniss. She _wanted_ him there. If she didn't, she wouldn't have invited him. So he_ had_ to mean _something_. Yeah. That felt better. It was stupid to get angry over something he had no control over...wait, that didn't sound right. People got angry over things they couldn't control all the time...

Gah, this wasn't helping.

Deep breaths.

"Hey, how's the view from down there?"

Gale's head snapped up, seeing that Cato was calling down to them. To_ Katniss_.

"Pretty good," she replied, eyes squinting in the sun as she held a hand above her brow. "But how are you gonna get down?"

Cato looked down at his footing, neck craning this way and that for a good branch. "Like this." Holding firm to two branches above his head, he slowly lowered his right foot onto a lower branch, testing its stability before shifting all of his weight onto it.

The growing crowd that had gathered watched on in suspense, and Gale didn't bother keeping from rolling his eyes. What was so great about this guy? I mean, really? What did he have that Gale didn't? Nothing, that was what. There was absolutely no reason to get all choked up about-

"Oh, my God!"

Gale watched as a branch snapped and gave way under Cato's foot.

Everyone gasped.

And Cato began to fall.

He grabbed hold of a branch at the last second to keep himself from breaking a limb (no pun intended) on the not-so-soft ground below. Everyone sighed in relief. Everyone but Gale, that is. He glanced over at Katniss - her hands were at her mouth and her eyes wide with concern. He rolled his eyes again.

Attention-grubbing _douche_.

After another minute or so of watching on in 'suspense', Cato made it safely to the ground. He leapt from the last branch of the tree and shook the earth below with his landing in sickening grandeur. Cato got to his feet and, briefly dusting himself off, stood tall and gave his 'audience' a bow of bravado. The onlookers clapped and cheered, and Gale reluctantly followed in their lead. He was such a 'Mr. Perfect' it made his stomach turn.

Sickening.

One by one the crowd disappeared, and Cato made his way over to Katniss, his demeanor exuding confidence to the highest degree.

"Told you I could climb that high," He smirked happily, standing before her.

She shook her head, smiling. "I still can't believe it."

Prim moved out from behind Gale, and Katniss finally noticed her. "Prim! Hey, the games are about to start. You ready?"

Her sister nodded. "Yep!"

The young Everdeen girl beamed with happiness, and neither Gale nor Katniss could resist smiling with warmness at her.

_"Games?"_ Cato asked in confusion.

Aaaannd the moment was gone.

Katniss looked back to him, all attention successfully diverted once again from Gale and Prim...oh, and Rory.

"Yeah. We have games every year. There's prizes for whoever wins. Anyone can join - you in?"

Cato smirked. "Where do I sign up?"

Gale cringed.

Like he said.

_ Sickening_.

* * *

**A/N: So was that okay? Too short? Too long? Let me know! :D**

**Anyway, the next chapter will have teams for the games, and the chapter after**_** that**_** will have the first of the games they play. At least, that's how I plan it. Not sure how many mini-games I'm going to have. We'll see.**

**Feel free to leave a review, but don't feel like you **_**have**_** to if you want me to update. I ain't one of **_**those**_** authors :P**

**'Til next time!**


	19. Teams

**A/N: Noticed a couple typos in the last two chapters, so I went ahead and fixed 'em. I was gonna update this yesterday, buuuut I was just too lazy- ER, preoccupied with something else XD**

**But anyway, here it is. Hope you like! :D**

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games.**

* * *

Chapter 19: Teams~

* * *

"Alright, listen up!"

Gale wanted nothing more than to run. Right now. Just run away. After Cato had so willingly joined 'the games', Gale had decided to do the same – and not because he wanted to show him up, either. Oh, no.

It was because Katniss, the girl he had all but adored his entire life, had decided to play, too. And if _she_ was playing,_ he_ was playing. Simple as that. And not because he was afraid of her and Cato getting too close (oh, no!). He just wanted to be a good friend.

_A friend-zoned friend,_ his conscience reminded him.

Gale rolled his eyes. At himself. How lame was he going to get today? ...Er, anyway, the reason he felt like running now, like walking away and taking back everything he'd done up to this point, was standing right in front of him, three measly feet away.

Johanna Mason smirked as she walked down the line of contestants for the first 'game' to be played, much the same way an army sergeant would do to a band of unfortunate new recruits.

"The first game we're going to play," she began, "is the sack race."

The younger members of the group cheered, while the older ones groaned.

"And for every game we play, you have to have a _partner_." Johanna glanced at Gale.

"And once you _pick_ a partner, you _cannot_ switch!" She shouted, looking pointedly at the person beside Gale.

"Choose wisely." She smirked at him.

Gale cringed.

"Dismissed!" She shouted, and everyone relaxed out of the pencil-straight line they had formed.

Johanna walked away, and Gale deflated with a sigh of relief. He spotted Katniss a ways down, immediately noticing _Cato_ standing next to her. Upon seeing whom she was conversing with, Gale walked over, determined to break it up...whatever it was that was going on between them.

"Katniss, hey!" He greeted cheerily, purposefully stepping between the two.

Katniss blinked rapidly as she took a step back, something she often did when she was surprised or flabbergasted. It was silly, he knew, but he'd always found it...cute, whenever she did that.

"Um, Gale, hi."

They stood in awkward silence for a moment before Gale broke the ice.

"So who are you gonna partner with?" He asked, getting straight to the point.

She blinked. "Oh, well, I usually do the games with Prim," she explained. "But I was thinking about going with someone else-"

"Great, so that means we can go together!" He said a bit too happily.

The immediate guilt that swam to her eyes told him that wasn't happening.

"Oh, well...I-I'm sorry, Gale, but...Cato already asked me."

Gale was so shocked his smile remained sloppily plastered onto his face. "...What?"

"Yeah, he said he wanted to partner with me, so...I said yes."

Gale turned around, coming face to face with a _very_ innocent-looking Cato. The blond said nothing, merely smiling down at him in an all-too-friendly manner. He couldn't prove it, but Gale could _swear_ he saw a glint of smugness in those stupid blue eyes of his.

'Not interested' his _ass_!

"I'm really sorry, Gale. If I'd have known, I would have-"

"No, no. It's okay." he smiled through set teeth. "I've already got a partner, anyway."

She blinked again, once, twice, three, four times in befuddlement. She looked almost...disappointed? Hurt? No, that couldn't be. Katniss Everdeen was never disappointed by anything. She was the Iron Woman, unhurt and untouched by anything but sweet Prim. He must have been imagining things.

But to be honest, even if he wasn't, he really didn't care at the moment.

"O-oh. Really? Who?" She asked slowly, as though wary of the answer.

"Uh..." Gale coolly but frantically looked around him, desperately searching to make his lie a truth. His eyes landed on the most unlikely of people, the most unworthy of risks, the most worthy of foes, the most_ ridiculous_ of alliances.

Johanna Mason.

Gale waved a hand as she walked towards them. "Johanna!"

Even though it was obvious from the look on her face that she had no intention of walking up to them, she changed course and did so anyway. Why? Because Gale was Gale. And that, in his mind, was reason enough for any woman.

_Except Katniss, _his mind reminded him.

Johanna marched up to them, eyes squinting despite being shaded by her baseball cap. She blew a bubble. "What's up?"

Hoping to _God_ she would play along, Gale went to stand beside her. "Oh, nothing, I just wanted make sure we were still doing this."

She shot him a look. "Doing _what?_"

He paused, and the pressure he felt as Katniss and Cato stood before him, one scrutinizing and the other amused, was unbelievable.

"Uhh, the games. I thought we were gonna be partners," He chuckled nervously, trying to jog a memory that wasn't there.

Johanna looked at him as though he had just done something disgusting, though in reality it was probably more as though he had just said something that made absolutely no sense, which he had. He stood there beside her for what felt like an eternity, the wind silently blowing as Cato and Katniss watched on, waiting for an answer from Johanna.

The girl in question looked at Gale, then at Cato, and finally at Katniss. A sudden look of understanding flooded her features, and, making an amused 'oh' of surprise with her lips, turned once again to Gale. He had the feeling he was going to regret this.

"Oh,_ right!_ I guess this means I'm gonna have to turn Finnick down now, haha!" she joked laughingly as she wrapped an arm around Gale's neck in a 'buddy' manner, and he did the same to her.

He was in _deep_ now. No going back.

He watched as Katniss crossed her arms and looked at the ground, something she only did when she was uncomfortable. Immediately he felt like the worst piece of scum on the planet, but that feeling quickly slowed when Cato moved to wrap an arm around her, and it was completely squashed when he saw her smile up at him in appreciation (or was that adoration?).

Gale wrapped his arm tighter around Johanna, and he could tell by her sudden stiffness that she was uncomfortable. At the moment, however, he didn't care.

Forcing another smile to his lips, he said, "So, I'll see you on the battlefield, 'kay, Katniss?"

It was meant to be construed as a joke, but Katniss didn't laugh. Instead she looked up at him, brow slightly furrowed in confusion, surprise and...hurt. Gale looked at her strangely before realizing his mistake. He'd called her Katniss. He _never_ did that. _Ever_. It was_ always_ Catnip, as it had been almost since their very first meeting. Unless he was extremely upset or depressed (which was hardly ever) she was always Catnip.

They stood in their places for a few long moments, and Gale thought that she was going to call him out on it, as she had done all those other times - after all, she_ certainly_ didn't seem to have a problem pointing out his seemingly sudden mood changes in broad daylight, especially if it meant getting him to spill his guts to her – but she didn't. Instead, she flashed a brief smile, nodded, and walked off with Cato to go collect their sacks for the race. He was glad that she hadn't said anything. Really, he was. But he also knew that she was going to keep that little shred of knowledge with her until the day she died.

Or until he explained and apologized. Whichever came first, he supposed.

As he watched her retreating figure, Gale became instantly annoyed. She _knew_ he hated it when she kept things to herself. No matter how small or ridiculous. They were the best of friends, they _always_ shared _everything_ together. Always. It was almost laughable to think that a family _reunion_ would tear them apart.

Ironic, indeed.

Johanna dropped her smile and wrenched Gale's arm from around her shoulder, ripping him away from his thoughts. She dug inside her pocket for another stick of gum.

"I know what you're doing, you know. And it's not gonna work." She said as she popped the piece of gum into her mouth, adding to the already large wad.

Gale froze. She wasn't going to say anything, was she?

"Uh, look, I'm really sorry for-"

_"Don't,"_ she said, blowing another bubble. He wasn't sure why, but the way she chewed gum made it seem as bad as smoking. "Look, I'm not into being_ used _just to make another person _jealous_."

Gale looked down, feeling slightly ashamed. Was it that obvious?

"_But,"_ she said, smirking as she watched his head shoot back up in hope. "This is _Katniss_ we're talking about. My _cousin._ And, even though I don't really like the idea of you two together, I _really_ don't like the idea of her and _Cato _together." She blew another bubble.

He sighed, relieved that she was on his side. But that didn't curb his piqued curiosity. "Wait, what do you have against Cato?" He asked.

The bubble popped.

"I don't _like_ him." Was all she said.

Gale waited for her to continue, even though it was clear that she was done sharing.

...

...

...

"...He stole my tater-tots." She admitted finally, angrily blowing another bubble.

He wasn't sure whether to laugh at the ridiculousness of her reasoning, or to be afraid of how long she held grudges.

"But you're still gonna have to make it worth my while." She said, drawing the gum back into her mouth.

Gale's mouth dropped open, and he scoffed. "_W-what?_ You just said you were on my side!"

She smiled ruefully. "What's in it for me?"

He scoffed again. "A-are you being _serious_ right now? I figured just _being_ with me would be enough for you!"

She shrugged. "You figured wrong. Now what's in it for me?"

Gale wracked his mind for ideas – well, ones that she would actually be_ interested_ in, anyway. Needless to say, his _genius_ brain came up with nothing. Not thinking, he quickly replied, "I don't know, whatever you want."

Her eyes sparkled with mischief, and he could practically_ see_ all of the twisted things going on inside those orbs. He instantly regretted his words.

"_Really?_ You sure about that?"

Normally he would have said no._ Normally_ he wouldn't have even _dreamed_ of making a deal with Johanna Mason. But this wasn't a normal day, and these weren't normal circumstances. And in reality, he didn't care about being sure. All he cared about was beating Cato and showing Katniss that he was better than she gave him credit for.

And so, in a moment of desperation, Gale agreed.

"Yes, anything you want. Just.._.help_ me!"

_Great._ He had just made one of the biggest mistakes of his life.

And he was only 20 years old.

His head was going to explode before this was all over.

Johanna smirked.

_"Super."_

* * *

**A/N: Uh-oh, I think Gale just made a deal with the Devil. Will it work out? D: Well, what am I saying? That never works out, haha! XD It also looks like Cato wasn't being completely honest when he said he wasn't interested in Katniss, hmm? *eyebrow wriggle*  
**

**I've realized that, up to this point, I've been having Gale refer to Katniss as...well, Katniss XD And that's not right! So I'm fixing that here, as well as going back and fixing that MAJOR minor mistake in the previous chapters, haha.**

**Anyway, next chapter's gonna be the sack race! I'm gonna focus on a different game for each chapter, here's a preview (in no particular order) of what games there will be:**

**three-legged race**

**balloon toss**

**pinata**

**duck, duck, goose**

**sack race (duh)**

**Watermelon eating contest**

**I'll try to make them as funny as possible, which, judging from some of my own personal experiences with these games, won't be too hard XD**

**If you spot any typos, TELL me! They MUST BE FIXED! (0-0)  
**

**'Til next time!**


	20. Sack Race

**A/N: MAN, it feels like it's been awhile! ^^; I meant to update like, 2 or 3 DAYS ago. Buuut I'm lazy :P This chapter contains the first of 'the games' which, to keep in sync with the last chapter (duh) will be the sack race. Hopefully you'll find it as funny as I did :D**

**Anyway, here's the update XD **

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games.**

* * *

Chapter 20: Sack Race~

* * *

Gale inhaled deeply, drawing in a concentrated breath as he stared determinedly at his goal.

There, not 50 feet away, was the object of his interest, of _everyone's_ interest.

The sack race finish line.

Childish as it may seem, Gale was going to take the games _very_ seriously, and God forbid if he was going to be stopped from hopping his way to victory. Ever since joining forces with Johanna (granted, it was only about 20 minutes ago, but it already felt like far longer) Gale had become determined, _very_ determined, to win this race, and every other game the Everdeen family threw his way, if only to crush Cato and win back Katniss.

It was kind of ridiculous, he knew, and to anyone else it would have seemed downright childish and immature of him to take something so silly so seriously, but he didn't care. All he wanted was to win.

"You ready?"

Gale paid Johanna no mind as he stepped inside the canvas sack that had been given to him, intent on ignoring her and just focusing on the task at hand. Johanna, however, just didn't seem to care.

"I hope you know that ignoring me's not gonna help you win," she said, stepping inside her own sack as well.

He said nothing, merely giving her a sideways glance as Enobaria, Johanna's mother, announced the instructions for the race.

"Alright, listen up!" She barked, and Gale immediately saw which side of the family Johanna took after.

"I assume you've all picked your partners by now, so here's what we're gonna do: everyone get in their sacks and form a straight line. You have to_ hop_ to the halfway point and back. No running, no waddling. _Hop_. Only one person from each team needs to make it across. And remember, it's just a game."

Gale rolled his eyes. Pfft. We'll just see how much fun the losers have.

He absentmindedly looked to his left, down the line of teams. He spotted Katniss and Cato a ways down, and he noticed that _Peeta_ was paired with Foxface. Prim had apparently paired herself with Rory, who looked _very _nervous. Stifling a smile, Gale turned his head back to look at the halfway point. Johanna noticed him smiling, and gave him a look.

"Why are you smiling like an idiot?"

Said smile was dropped immediately, and Gale had restrain himself from strangling her. Leave it to Johanna freaking Mason to kill a good mood.

"Nothing," he muttered, pulling the sack up past his hips.

Enobaria continued. "Alright, get ready, get set...GO!"

And they were off.

Gale hopped with all his might, his knuckles turning white as he gripped the rims of the canvas sack tighter and tighter. He could hear Johanna grunting behind him with the effort to keep up with him, but he had no intention of slowing down. He hopped and hopped and hopped, uncaring of who he had to shove or push to get in front of, or of how ridiculous he looked. He only cared about winning.

Once he hit the halfway line, Gale pivoted with all his might and just barely kept from completely bashing into Johanna. Their shoulders grazed as he dodged right and she left, both frantically trying to keep from crashing to the ground from even the slightest misdirection of their upper bodies. Their eyes briefly met and for a fraction of a second Gale thought they were going to fall to the ground, but they missed each other and they were both off again.

About halfway to the finish line, Gale started feeling good about himself. He was going to do it. He was going to win and rub it in Cato's stupid face-

He didn't even have time to widen his eyes as a mass of blond and tan jumped in front of him and past his peripheral vision in a single hop. Gale held tighter to the canvas edges of his sack and hopped faster. His leg muscles were screaming for him to stop but he refused to give up. Not now, not ever. He was_ not _about to let some stupid blond_ idiot_ cut in front of him and steal _his_ victory.

_Cato _was in the lead.

And that shit just did not fly.

Willing his legs to move faster, Gale gathered the remaining energy in his legs and made one final leap, cutting Cato off as he aimed right. He felt as if he were going in slow motion, and he could feel every millisecond pass by as he wondered whether or not his efforts were in vain. Gale's body smashed into the ground with a resounding thud, the ground vibrating with the stress as the shock passed through his body. He lay there for a few seconds, waiting for Enobaria to call for a winner, and for a moment he thought that he hadn't touched the finish line at all, or even come close to it, really, and that maybe he should be waiting for the sounds of laughter and humiliation instead.

It took ages, but the announcement was finally made.

"WINNER!" Enobaria called, and Gale felt long claw-like fingernails digging into his arm as he was being tugged upwards into a standing position.

His head swam a bit from the impact of his fall, but it quickly subsided as Gale felt his arm being raised above his head in a victory-like stance. _Man_, it sounded pathetic, but the amount of elation he felt at being able to outdo, outsmart and outbest Cato was unmeasurable. The contestants and onlookers clapped and cheered, and he openly basked in the positive attention.

He spotted Katniss a ways behind Cato, her racing sack at her feet, clapping happily for him. He felt a bit guilty for his victory, but that feeling was soon shoved down into the recesses of his gut as his gaze fell on Cato, who was clapping as well. He could prove nothing, but he just_ knew _that the blond was already planning ways to beat him at the next game. No matter. Gale would just have to take extra precautions to counteract whatever he had up his sleeve.

"I'll get your prize," Enobaria said, her fingernails leaving his arm.

Gale withdrew his hand and inspected the skin below his elbow, immediately noticing the little half-moon marks imbedded into his arm. Yikes. He'd hate to be _her_ kid growing up. Just then, Johanna walked up to him.

"Nice goin' there, Sport," she congratulated, tossing her sack into the growing pile at Gale's right.

He gave her a look. "'Sport'?"

She nodded. "That's what I've decided to call you. You know, since you're such a bad one?"

He rolled his eyes. He wasn't about to let her bring him down from his victory-pedestal.

"Gee, _thanks_, Captain _Obvious_."

She smirked. "You're welcome, Sergeant Sarcasm."

He looked her, surprised at her wittiness. "Indeed, Comrade Comeback."

"Sure thing, Lieutenant _Loser_."

Gale watched in utter shock as she began to walk away, strutting with all the pride of a pack of lions. Gathering one last attempt for a comeback, he called out, "Thanks a lot, Senior Smartass!"

She kept walking, and for a moment Gale thought he had won, but she suddenly turned around, still walking, and replied, "Anytime, Dictator Dillwad!"

"Dammit!" He said to himself, eyebrows coming together in distaste.

Just then, he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned to meet the eyes of none other than Cato. "Good job back there," he congratulated. Gale had _half_ a mind to reject his fake praise, but just as he went to open his mouth, Katniss came trotting up to them, racing sack in her hands.

"Hey, Gale. That was really great back there," she said, all smiles. He knew she hadn't forgotten about the incident earlier, but at least she wasn't going to avoid him because of it.

"Thanks, Catnip," he smiled as he not-so-nicely brushed Cato's hand off of his shoulder, putting emphasis on the 'Catnip'.

She sighed with what he could only interpret as relief, and she smiled even wider. "You're welcome. I had only just turned around at the halfway point and you were already at the finish line."

"Yeah, well, you know me. Competitive, haha," Gale joked, giving Cato a meaningful look.

They all laughed, albeit a bit forcefully, and Katniss spoke again. "...Well, I'm gonna go to the bathroom, so, see you in a bit." She gave Gale one last smile, and, after Cato patted her shoulder, left for the restrooms.

Gale dropped his smile by a fraction, and Cato's face noticeably darkened a shade as well. Leaning into his ear, Cato said, "I don't know what you think you're gonna accomplish by this, but I think you should be reminded of what your chances are. Katniss chose_ me_, okay? Not you. So why don't you just let it go."

Gale shoved him away. "She didn't choose you. _You _chose _her._ And she was just nice enough to say yes! So don't think that I don't have a chance, because I _do_. And I'm gonna prove it-"

"By what? Winning the games? Do you honestly think that Katniss is gonna be impressed by this stupid stuff? By brawn alone?"

Letting his anger get the better of him, Gale shoved him back again and jabbed an accusatory finger at his face. "Look, _I'm _the one who's known Katniss the longest, so don't act like you 'know' anything-"

"I think the fact that you've known her the longest and_ still _haven't done anything about it speaks _volumes_," he smirked, moving his hand out of his face.

Cato made to leave, but just as he was about to walk past him he stopped. "Oh, and, if you don't mind, Gale," he said, placing a hand yet again on his shoulder. "Don't cuss in front of the kids." He walked away, and by the time Enobaria came back with his prize, Gale was absolutely livid.

"Okay sorry, I had to go all the way back to the shelter because some _Dillwad_ didn't move the treasure chest out to the field like I told them to," she said angrily, and Gale immediately thought back to the 'language lesson' Cato had so generously taught him just moments ago.

Enobaria looked at him strangely. "...What's so funny?"

He shook his head. "Nothing."

"Oh. Well here's your prize," she said, and Gale felt an object begin to put immense pressure on his cranium. He reached up, and his fingers landed on a fuzzy, felt-like...what the hell?!

"_Bunny ears?"_ He asked in disbelief.

Enobaria smiled ruefully. "For the sack-race! You know, because you _hop? Like a bunny_?"

Honestly, he was expecting better.

Cash.

Gift certificate.

Hell, even_ candy_ would be better than this. What was _up_ with this family?

"What did you expect? This _is_ a game for little kids," she smirked, and Gale narrowed his eyes at her.

"The next game starts in ten minutes. Be ready." And with that, she walked off, her gait reminding him all too much of Johanna.

Staring after the direction of the shelter, Gale's eyes landed on Cato, who was talking animatedly to Aunt Effie and Uncle Caesar. He narrowed his eyes at him.

Suck up.

Scratching one of his bunny ears, Gale stood humiliated as groups of kids walked by him, laughing and giggling like there was no tomorrow.

He'd be damned if he was going to let a single game go to _Cato._

* * *

**A/N: So was it funny? Cute? Good? Bad? How do you think things will work out for Gale in the other games? Feel free to let me know :D**

**It has been brought to my attention by ****Sasha, a guest,**** that I should do a small Peetniss kissing scene, if only so we can see poor Gale suffer- err, I mean react XD I hadn't planned on doing this in the story, but I think it's a great idea. So ****thanks, Sasha!**** You have officially altered the course of history as we know it! :D**

**I'll try and be faster with the next updates, but keep in mind no promises have been made.**

**'Till next time!**


	21. Three-Legged Race

**A/N: Well, here's yet another chapter. This time it's the three-legged race. Hope you enjoy! And don't hold back from saying you do! Reviews are encouraged, but not forced...yet. Lol. Jk XD**

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games.**

* * *

Chapter 21: Three-Legged Race~

* * *

After the sack race incident (and after a good stress-free ten minute break) Gale joined everyone back in the fields to play the next game. He had to say, his tolerance was waning. But his determination wasn't. If anything, it was only getting stronger...well, at least stronger than Cato's. Because...well...it had to be.

Erm, anyway, all of the teams from the last game (that still wanted to play after Gale crushed them, of course) lined back up to the same spot they had used for the sack race. Enobaria went along the line, securing a length of rope to each team's feet. _Great,_ Gale thought. _The three-legged race._ She came to stand in front of Gale and Johanna, bending down to tie their feet together.

He tried to ignore the little ball of cockiness standing next to him, but he_ swore_, one more blown bubble and he was gonna-

_POP!_

-never mind.

Enobaria moved onto the next team, and Gale sighed. _Heavily_.

Johanna snorted beside him. "You're not losing steam now, are you, Sport?"

He snorted in return. "Pfft. Of course not."

She snorted again, louder this time, in competition with his previous snort. _"Pfft,"_ she mimicked. "_Course_ not-"

Gale snorted, drowning out her snide remarks. Pausing in slight surprise, Johanna snorted, long and loud, trying to outdo him. Scoffing at her pathetic attempts to show him up, he snorted yet again, _far_ louder than she. Standing tall, Johanna snorted so loud that it must have hurt her throat, and Gale, surprised, stayed silent. Smirking in triumph, she looked away, returning to her previous task of chewing her gum.

After letting her relish in her small victory, Gale decided enough was enough. Steeling his nose and throat, he inhaled deeply, and began to snort the loudest snort in all the-

"My GOD, STOP it!"

He turned to the source of the voice, finding an annoyed Foxface and flabbergasted Peeta. The red-haired girl immediately averted her gaze as soon as his eyes landed upon her, and Peeta could only look between she and Gale in embarrassment. He turned back to Johanna to find her smirking the widest smirk he had ever seen. He rolled his eyes.

Enobaria spoke. "Alright, everybody, time for the three-legged race! No pushing, shoving, or hitting, please." As a smart afterthought, she added, "Unless, of course, you_ just can't help yourself_." She smiled wryly.

"Now; get ready,"

Gale and Johanna assumed their positions.

"get set,"

He could practically taste victory.

"GO!"

Gale stepped forward, dragging Johanna along with him.

And caused her to fall right on her face.

"Ow!" She said, kicking the ground as she stood back up, as though it were to blame. Seeing how far they were getting behind, Gale rushed her to her feet.

"Come _on,_ let's _go_." He said urgently.

She waved him off. "Hey, I'll _get up_ when I _get up!_"

Groaning, Gale tapped his foot as impatiently as a rabbit about fifty times before she _finally_ got back on her feet. Thankful that she wasn't any slower, he tugged her along with him over to the halfway point, turned around, and stumbled along some more.

And then Johanna fell again.

"Are you _kidding me?!_" Gale practically shouted, ready to rip his hair out, rip_ her_ hair out.

"_Hey! _I'm trying my _best!_" Johanna barked back at him, ever so _slowly_ standing back up.

Grumbling, he waited, his hands and feet fidgety as ever with the finish line so close.

…

…

…

A flash of brunette, a moment of blond, and Cato and Katniss were in the lead.

And Johanna was still on the ground.

No, no, _no!_

Looking hurriedly from Johanna to the two winning teammates, Gale made a decision. He'd go to Hell in a hand basket the day he let _Cato_ win _anything_. And Johanna was too. Freaking. _Slow_. He was _not _going to walk a half-mile like some waddling_ retard _with _her_ tied to him, and he was _certainly_ not going to spend all day doing it.

So, without further contemplation, Gale grabbed hold of Johanna and yanked her to her feet.

"Ow, _hey!_"

He ignored her complaints, instead focusing on the goal - the finish line. Wrapping his arms around her hips, Gale hoisted Johanna up to rest against his side, her free foot dangling in the air, earning a surprised and embarrassed yelp from the young fire-head.

"What the hell are you doing?!" She asked, panicked nails digging into the tops of his shoulders.

"_Winning!"_

Giving no further room for protest, Gale sped ahead of the other contestants, jogging in front of them at an increasing pace, Johanna's nails digging into his skin more and more all the while. He didn't care if he was cheating, or if he looked like a complete idiot holding Johanna like a two-year old, her tied down leg flopping uselessly beside his. He only cared about crossing that finish line.

With another quick burst of energy, Gale broke out into a full-on run, Johanna's dyed hair flopping in his eyes as he passed Cato and Katniss, and, finally, the finish line. Feeling the adrenaline rush of victory sweep over his body, Gale skidded to a halt, letting out a huge sigh as he evened out his breathing and dropped his teammate with all the grace of a sack of potatoes. He was almost immediately punched in the shoulder. Hard.

"You _asshole!_" Johanna hissed. "I can't believe you pulled that stunt! I-" She paused abruptly, her eyes widening as though just coming to a horrible realization, and Gale almost felt compelled to ask her what was wrong.

Almost.

He waited for her to finish what she had to say, honestly not caring whether she was mad or not. She stood beside him for another second before regaining her previous composure and resuming her verbal beating.

"I just swallowed my gum! _You made me swallow my gum!_" She said, voice rising in anger with every word.

And then, without further ado, she hit Gale again, even harder than before.

"Ow!" he fake-yelped, hoping it would satisfy her. Unfortunately, he wasn't quite so lucky.

"That's going to be in my stomach for seven _years!_" she shouted, punching him again in his already tender shoulder.

Gale braced himself for the last hit, but it never came. He watched in amusement as Johanna retracted her outstretched arm and brought it back down to her side, her livid expression swiped off her face faster than...well, anything Gale had ever seen.

"Congratulations," Enobaria smiled as she walked up to them, looking at Johanna in warning. "You've won."

Beside him, Gale's partner's mouth fell open. "WHAT?!"

"Yep."

"But...but that's against the rules!"

"Um, _no_. What I _said _was: no pushing, shoving, or hitting. Mr. Hawthorne didn't do any of those things."

Johanna's mouth opened and closed like a fish, and Gale couldn't have been more happy in that moment. Unable to find anything wrong with his tactics for unrivaled _victory_, she shut her mouth and crossed her arms, huffing hotly.

Enobaria ignored her daughter's antics, hiding a smile as she bent down to untie their feet. Gale spotted Katniss and Cato a few yards away, standing under a tree, still happily tied together. He looked away, unable to bear the sight of such a _disgusting_ display.

Yuck.

"I'll go get your prize." Enobaria said, walking off with the pieces of rope she had collected from the other contestants.

Johanna watched intently as her mother trotted off, and as soon as she was a safe distance away from them, she hit Gale yet again.

"Ow, what the hell?!"

She scowled. "Don't _ever_ do that again."

Gale rolled his eyes. "_Whatever_."

Enobaria came back, much faster this time, and handed he and Johanna a pack of Twizzlers. Sighing, Gale ripped open the plastic and stuffed the wrapper in his pocket. He'd had a pretty crazy day today, and he wasn't about to get hacked on for something as stupid littering. He lifted the red licorice to his mouth, eager for a treat after all his hard work, when it was none too nicely snatched away by his teammate.

"The heck was that for?"

She raised the candy to her mouth, ripping off a good portion of it with her savage-like teeth. "I did half the work, I get half the spoils."

Gale gaped at her. "W-what?! I did _all_ the work!"

She shrugged. "Fine, then. I get half for pain and suffering."

"Pain and suffering?! You didn't even-"

"I swallowed my gum."

"Ugh, whatever. You know what? I'm not even gonna argue." He threw his hands up.

"Good." Johanna took another bite of his- _their_ Twizzler before handing it back to him.

Gale inspected it, disgusted with the trail of saliva running down the edges.

You know what?

_Forget_ the candy.

"Here," he said dejectedly, handing it back to her. "Keep it."

Smiling all too innocently, Johanna gracefully took the licorice back. "_Thank _you."

It was then that Gale realized this was her plan all along, to act like she didn't want it so she could gross him out and steal his spoils. But whatever. He didn't have the energy to fight with her over the matter. And frankly, he wasn't in the mood, either.

But then again, he couldn't think of a single scenario where he _would_ be in the mood to deal with Johanna freaking Mason.

* * *

**A/N: Man, Johanna's really wearing on Gale's nerves, isn't she? XD **

**The three-legged race thing actually happened and is based on fact from one of my experiences at **_**my**_** family reunion. The girl I was paired with was really slow and kept falling down, so I helped her up and carried her to the finish line. *Sigh* good times XD**

**Anyway, feel free to leave a review. I really love them- er, YOU! I mean you! I love**_** you **_**for writing it...And them. You know...for being there ^^;**

**I'm trying to decide what I should do after this, like what story I should write. I've got a ton of ideas but they're all for a ton of different fandoms, and I'm not sure where to start D: I'm sure I'll settle on something, though. ****I'm thinking of choosing a set of stories and setting up a poll for which ones people think I should start on, but idk****. **

**Anyway, thanks for the views, reads, skims, reviews, follows, and favorites. They mean far more than I am able to express on this site. Lol :D**

**'Til next time!**


	22. Duck, Duck, Goose

**A/N: Aaaand I'm back :P Yet again, I meant to update like, two or three days ago, but again, I'm lazy *shrugs***

**But anyway, it's here now. Better late than never, right? Am I right? :D **

**Thought so... T_T**

**lol here's your chapter :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games.**

* * *

Chapter 22: Duck, Duck, Goose~

* * *

"Alright, everyone get in a circle!"

Gale sat awkwardly cross-legged next to Johanna, trying his best not to crush the little kid sitting on his other side. He didn't know what they were playing, but he had a pretty good guess.

It was something stupid.

"Okay, everybody, be quiet for a second, okay?" Enobaria's voice rang out through the open field, and of course, all the children listened to the scary sharp-toothed woman.

"Great. Now, we're going to be playing duck, duck, goose."

Gale inwardly cringed. _Duck, duck, goose?_ How much more juvenile could you get? What was next? Freeze tag?

"This is lame..." he muttered.

Enobaria hit his head. "_You're_ lame. Now, here are the rules: You can't choose your own partner to be the Goose, and older kids have to go around the circle twice. If you get tagged by the person that called you Goose, you're out. Last team standing wins. Ready?"

The children all let out a howl of enthusiasm. She may have been standing behind him, but Gale could swear he could hear her smile.

"Great. Peeta, you can go first."

Gale snapped his gaze onto the unfortunate 'duck', already knowing full-well who the puppy-blond was going to choose. As Peeta got up from his spot, Gale looked directly across from him to settle his eyes on his best friend. Katniss sat, cross-legged, next to Cato. She wasn't looking at him, rather at Peeta, which made Gale all the more annoyed at the fact they were playing such a silly children's game.

"Okay, let's see...duck...duck...duck..."

As Peeta called off ducks, Gale looked at Johanna. She was smirking at him, as usual, but the glint in her eyes told him she knew exactly what he was thinking; Katniss shouldn't be sitting that close to Cato, and Peeta was an idiot. One or the other. Or both. He couldn't tell.

Gale looked away, and he had to control himself from wrenching Peeta's hand off his arm and disconnecting it from his body when he tapped his head and said, "Duck,"

After another twenty seconds (it was a pretty big circle) Gale's prediction came true, and Peeta called Katniss to be the Goose. Springing up from her spot with much more fervor than Gale had anticipated, the brunette shot forward after Peeta, a huge smile playing at her lips. Peeta was strong, but he was also slow (and not just mentally), and Katniss was little and fast. She tagged him after getting little more than half way around the circle, not even granting room for a second lap.

Peeta skidded to a halt and went to sit under a tree not far from the circle, and Gale smiled proudly as Katniss took his place – _away_ from Cato.

It went this way for another ten minutes, and Gale still hadn't been picked to be a duck _or_ a goose. Not only was this game long, but it was boring if you never got picked. Gale was ready to fall asleep when Enobaria called out his name.

"Gale, you're the duck!"

_Finally!_

Gale shot up, all too happy that after nearly thirty minutes, he was_ finally_ able to do something. Stopping to briefly stretch his legs, he moved around the circle, lazily tapping everyone's head while calling out, 'Duck...duck...duck..."

He paused briefly when he came to Katniss, inwardly laughing as he saw her stiffen with anticipation. But, at the last second, he laid a gentle hand on her head and said, "Duck," before moving on.

He had bigger fish to fry.

After passing up five or so more kids (including Prim and Rory), Gale reached Cato. Not giving the blond a chance to anticipate his next move (despite the fact that he had probably anticipated it the moment they all sat down to_ play_ this stupid game) he tap/smacked him on the head and yelled, "GOOSE!"

Gale ran with all his might, his feet making heavy sounds as they hit the ground. He could feel Cato behind him, could hear his thundering footsteps, but he refused to look back. He had a game to win.

After rounding the second lap Gale knew he was going to taste victory. Johanna sent him an amused smirk as he raced past her, but Gale pressed forward and zoomed ahead of the last half of the circle, sliding into Cato's previous spot.

"You're out, Cato!" Enobaria called, and he couldn't help smile brightly at Johanna from the other end of the circle.

Gale twisted around to see Cato going to join Peeta at the ever-growing Loser's Tree, and although he knew it wasn't smart, he couldn't help gloating his victory.

"Better luck next time, huh, Cato?"

Cato turned back to look at him, smiling himself. "We'll see."

Gale ignored him, turning back to face the remaining kids. He noticed Katniss staring at him, and it made him all the more happy to see that she was trying to hide a playful smirk herself.

Oh yeah. He had this in the bag.

* * *

**A/N: I'm not gonna bother telling you that Gale won, which he did, because...well...just because :P**

**Anyway, I'm gonna add an epilogue when this story is finished, and I would like suggestions for Gale and Katniss' daughter. ****What should her name be?**** I'm sure I can think of something if no one has any ideas, but I'm totally open to suggestions :)**

**'Til next time!**


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